


HOT CHILD IN THE CITY

by shortie990



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Drama, F/F, Falling In Love, Family, Flirting, Fluff and Smut, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-01-14 10:50:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 118,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1263547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortie990/pseuds/shortie990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Based/inspired roughly off of the movie Coyote Ugly. Piper is a struggling artist in need of a job and comes across the bar, Coyote. But what she will find inside is more than a just a job. She will find love. Friendship. A family. Rated for future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Do not own Orange Is the New Black or any of the characters.

**_ HOT CHILD IN THE CITY _ **   


The blonde swore loudly underneath her breath as she tried to open the front door of her apartment with her hands full with brown grocery bags. She swore again, this time more loudly as she dropped one of the bags onto her foot at the same time as she lost the grip on her key.

 It was then that her cell phone began to blare loudly from the contents of her messenger bag. The main chorus of "Hot Child in The City" filled her ears. She ignored it though as she tried to pick up the key. It was either just her mother calling her or Polly, her best friend. Both could wait though, she thought. It took her a few more tries before the blonde was successful in not only picking up the key but sliding it into the lock of the door and opening it. Pushing open the door further with her hip, Piper Chapman made her way inside with the groceries bags in her hands. She slammed the door close with her foot as she quickly made her way into the small studio apartment and plopped down the bags all at once onto the kitchen counter.

She wiped her brow with the back of her hand as a heavy sigh escaped from her chapped lips. It was a thousand degrees outside and a million inside her apartment. She couldn't believe how hot the city could get during the summer time. She was pretty sure that it never got this hot back home in Connecticut or New Hamptons. Piper Chapman had just moved to the city a week ago. Her parents had wanted her to wait until later on in the fall time to move. She had only gotten home after graduating from Smith just three weeks earlier. But the blonde had needed to do this.

She had been bursting to move to New York City since the age of eight when she had first taken a day trip there with her mom. She had fallen in love with the city that never sleeps and had made it her life mission to move there one day. As soon as graduation had hit, the blonde had been looking up apartments. After looking at a few, she decided on one that was located in the heart of Chinatown above a Dim-Sum restaurant. It wasn't exactly a Penthouse on Fifth Avenue or anything glamorous, but to a recent graduate like herself it was paradise. This was Piper's first ever place that she didn't have to share with anyone else. It was all her own.

 And she loved every square inch of the crappy apartment. The rent was also cheap, which was a plus for her. She was currently jobless. Her parents had told her they would help her out with the first month's rent, but after that she was on her own. Piper had some money saved up from the odd job or two she had worked during the school year, plus all the money she had saved up the past two summers working at a summer camp, teaching art to kids.

So she wasn't completely broke. But she did need to find a job soon. She couldn't face having to go back to her parents' house and their looks of 'we told you so' plastered on their faces. She couldn't have that. She needed to show not only them but everyone, really, that she could support herself and make it big in the city.

For you see, Piper just didn't just have a dream of moving to New York City. She also had a dream to become an artist. She had gone to Smith originally to pursue a degree in English Language and Literature, thinking she would later on get a job in publishing or something. But that soon fell through when she got introduced to the arts by her first year door-mate at the time, Nora. Nora had been doing her BFA and had convinced Piper one night to tag along to an open figurative class with her. The blonde had always enjoyed drawing and painting but had never called herself an artist or anything. But after that night, her mind-set had changed. She had fallen in love with the human figure and drawing it. She soon found herself registered for a few art classes. She had already had a full schedule by that point, but she didn't care. By her second year, she had switched her major from English to studio art. And then just to keep her parents' happy and to avoid letting her English credits go to waste, she completed a minor in it.

Once the blonde had unloaded her parcels, she opened the window slightly, allowing some fresh air into the small space. Another downside of living on her own: she didn't have AC. The apartment filled with the sounds from the streets below. She stood there for a second, looking out before turning her attention to the make-shift studio space that made up a good portion of her living space. She really missed her studio that she’d back at Smith. But studio spaces in the city were expensive, so working in her apartment would have to do for now. The space really just consisted of the corner of the apartment by the window. There was an easel propped against the wall, where a painting was already in the works. There was also a small table where Piper had her brushes, paints, and palette laying on.

Piper studied the painting-in-progress for a second before tilting her long blonde hair forward and twisting it upwards into a messy knot. She then got to work on the painting.

_Danger in the shape of somethin' wild Stranger dressed in black, she's a hungry child_

Piper looked briefly over her shoulder towards where her messenger bag lay on her kitchen counter. She had forgotten to check who had called her last time. Whoever it had been was trying to again.

_No one knows who she is or what her name is I don't know where she came from or what her game is_

The blonde debated between going to answer it and just continuing to paint as she stood there listening to the Pat Benatar song. She assumed it was just Polly. If it was her mother, she would have phoned the landline. It was mostly definitely Polly, she thought. She hadn't spoken her best friend in a couple of days. Which wasn't really that long, but the two girls were used to calling and talking to each other each day. Piper loved Polly. They had known each other forever. It was just that Piper felt like they were drifting apart. Especially now when all Polly seemed to talk about was her upcoming wedding.

_Hot child in the city_

_Hot child in the city_

_Runnin' wild and lookin' pretty_

_Hot child in the city_

The song continued to play for a moment longer before going to voice mail. Piper sighed. She really should go and check who phoned her. But at the same time, she didn't want to. She figured she would do it later as she turned back to her painting.

* * *

Piper blew cold air on her latte as she sat outside of Starbucks and pored over the wanted ads in a newspaper that someone had left. It was a later on in the afternoon now. She had painted for a good few hours before deciding that she needed a break and a change of scenery for a bit.

She was desperate for anything.

She didn't care where she ended up working just as long as she got paid with money and still had time to work on her paintings.

She wasn't picky.

She took a quick sip from her latte, burning her tongue a bit as she reached for her bag and rummaged inside of it for a pen. Finding a Sharpie, Piper pulled off the cap with her teeth quickly then circled a job ad that looked promising. It was for some bar called Coyote, and they were looking for a waitress.

Piper had never waited a damn table in her life, but she figured it couldn't be that hard. She had been a hostess at a Red Lobster the summer before going off to college.

How different would being a waitress at a bar be?

 Piper circled a few others ads, but she really thought the waitressing one would be her best bet. Plus it would get her some tips. The more money, the better.

The young blonde sat there outside the Starbucks for the rest of the afternoon. She slowly drank her latte as she people-watched and did some rough sketching in her sketchbook. She loved the city. She found it be such an inspiration. There were all different kinds of people here.

She loved it.

Her blue eyes were focused on a group of women seated on a bench across the street. There were three of them and all very different. They were talking and laughing loudly at something.

 They were all beautiful, thought Piper to herself as she quickly turned to a blank page at the back of her sketch book and quickly began to draw the three women.

One had long dark hair that faded into turquoise at the tips. Piper couldn't make out the colour of her eyes, but she imagined that they either blue or green eyes behind those black-framed glasses she wore. Piper couldn't seem to take her eyes off of this one. She was captured by her sexiness. She was not only beautiful, but confident. There was just the way she seemed to hold herself that Piper was in awe of.

She allowed for her eyes to linger on the woman for a moment longer before turning to the other two women. These two were much shorter than the rockabilly one. One had a bushy mane of blonde hair that reminded Piper of a lion. The other woman had short brown hair that came just to her shoulders and wore bright red lipstick on her lips. The blonde and the brunette were seated very close to one another. They looked to be a couple of sorts, thought Piper as she continued to draw them. The blonde had her arm wrapped tightly around the brunette's waist.

It was an intimate gesture.

As Piper continued to watch and draw this trio of women, she couldn't help but think about her own best friend back home in Connecticut who she had yet to phone back. Polly had been her best friend since the age of eight, and she missed her terribly. She knew no one in the city. She had moved here alone. She had wanted to start her life and not wait around like Polly was. Polly, like Piper, was a recent graduate. But instead of moving out to the city with Piper like they had planned on doing when they were kids, Polly was getting married to her high school sweetheart, Pete. Piper was happy for her friend, but she couldn't see why Polly was settling. They had once had big dreams, but Piper seemed to be the only one fulfilling them now.

Polly still lived in the small town that they had grown up in. Polly was still dating her first boyfriend. She was even still working the same job as she had when she was sixteen, a receptionist at her dad's law firm.

Piper couldn't see her friend’s reasoning for all this. She didn't understand how her best friend didn't crave change, crave a different life than the one she had in high school.

Piper fucking did.

The moment she had graduated from high school and gone off to Smith, she had cut all ties to her former life. She had broken up with her long-time boyfriend, Larry, and said goodbye to the teenaged Piper Chapman. And now here she was, four years later, living her dream. She was living by herself in the big city. She was a practising artist. She might be broke at the moment and hadn't sold a piece of work yet.

But she was happy, and that was something.

As Piper continued studying the three women, she found herself wishing she was in on their joke. She wanted to be sitting with them on that bench, laughing. She wanted to know everything about each of them. They looked like the type of girls that didn't give a shit about anything or what others thought and knew how to have a good time.

They were the cool kids, and she wanted to be apart of their club.

Piper continued to sketch them and watch from afar before they got up and left. The rockabilly woman said something and punched the lion-maned one in the arm before waving goodbye and began to walk away while the other two left in the opposite direction. She watched as lion-mane and red-lips kissed before walking hand-in-hand down the street.

Piper stayed there for a second or two longer before closing her sketchbook and shoving it back into her bag. She then too left and headed towards home. The sun was just beginning to set over the urban landscape.

 

* * *

"Fuck!" cursed Piper as she raced down the hallway of the building and located the right room.

She was running late for the figurative class she'd signed up for at the YMCA. The blonde had gotten her timing wrong. She was still getting used to the vast subway routes that ran underneath the city and had gotten off on the wrong stop. She didn't have any money to get back on, so she had to walk. It had taken longer than she had thought it would.

Once she located the room, she quickly stepped inside. Everyone in the room looked up and over at her, and Piper felt her cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment at this. Her blue eyes swept across the faces in the room before landing on the instructor. She smiled apologetically at the small thin woman with short wispy blonde hair.

The instructor just smiled back at Piper before gesturing for her to take the last empty drawing bench in the room.

Piper nodded her head before quickly moving from the doorway to the bench and immediately began pulling out her supplies, a pad of newsprint, and charcoal. She straddled the bench and laid the pad down on the table of the bench, clipping it with a bulldog clip. She then angled the table so that its edges rested on her thighs and faced the small stage in the centre of the room where the model for this drawing session would be.

It was empty.

It looked like Piper wasn't as late as she thought she was. A sense of relief washed over her as she looked around the room at the others. They were in a circular formation around the stage.

Piper took this time to twist her long wavy blonde hair off of her face and into a messy knot at the back of her neck. She couldn't stand to draw with her hair in her face. As rummaged in her backpack for a hair tie, the front door opened again. She heard the instructor, who had a very squeaky voice, she noted, address the newcomer warmly. She couldn't make out what the other person had said, but she assumed this was the model, who let out a raspy chuckle.

The room was silent yet again as the model went off to the small changing room in the far corner of the room.

Piper looked down at the display on her phone for a moment, reading a text message that Polly had just sent. She quickly replied to it before turning off the ringer of her phone and throwing it back into her canvas messenger bag. Polly wanted to know why she hadn't called her back. Piper replied back that she would later on that night because she was busy at the moment.

Piper then looked up at the instructor, who was now standing in the middle of the room, addressing the class.

The instructor was a very tiny woman who introduced herself as Jones and began explaining how this class was a figurative drawing class for any level- from beginner to advanced. There would be no critiquing or such. Everyone was allowed to simply draw how they wanted. She explained that the model would do two fifteen-minute poses, taking a break in between each of them. There would then be another break before the model did a longer pose, this time for forty-five minutes. They would first be starting off with a few two-minute poses just to get the drawing juices flowing.

Piper couldn't help but feel excited by this. She hadn't taken a figurative class since her third year of university. She was excited to get drawing again, especially back into the practise of drawing the figure as her work now mainly focused on large portraits.

Piper smiled as she caught the instructor's eye before looking up at the model, who was now standing in a pale blue kimono beside Jones.

"Everyone this is our lovely model for the night, Alex."

Piper found herself gawking at the model. It wasn't because she had just disrobed and stood naked in all her glory on the stage. The blonde wasn't shy about the human body. Four years of art school would change a person's views on nakedness. She was perfectly comfortable with having a beautiful naked woman stand in front of her. She was gawking because she knew this Alex. Well, not personally. But she had seen her before. This Alex was the dark-haired, blue-tipped beauty from earlier that day. The one Piper had been marvelling at from across the street. The blonde found her cheeks flushing as she continued to sit there frozen, staring. Alex didn't have her glasses on, but Piper was sure it was the same woman. How many girls in New York had blue tips on their hair?

This had to be the same girl.

Piper found her heart pounding as she continued to allow her eye to drink in the beautiful work of art before her. Alex was hot, she thought. Usually models in figurative classes were older women with sagging breasts and extra weight around the waist. Alex's tits were on the bigger side, yes, but not saggy by any means. They were lush and perfect, thought Piper. And don't get her started on the rest of her body. Alex had one of those bodies depicted in classical paintings. She wasn’t skinny, but she wasn’t fat. She had curves in all the right places.

"It's okay to be timid at first," came a soft squeaky voice suddenly in her ear. Piper jumped, immediately looking away from Alex and over her shoulder at Jones.

"Sorry?" asked Piper towards her. She hadn't heard what she had just said.

"Jones looked down at Piper with her watery blue eyes. She smiled a gentle smile at her before repeating what she had just said. "It's okay to be timid at first. Just start off by drawing what you see."

Piper's eyes widened slowly as realization set in. Jones thought this was her first time in a figurative class. She thought she didn't now what she was doing. The blonde opened her mouth to set Jones straight but decided against it. She quickly closed her mouth and nodded her head in understanding.

"Okay, I'll try," she replied, smiling up at Jones.

Jones placed a hand on Piper's shoulder before moving onto the person seated next to Piper. She continued looking at her for a second before turning her gaze back over to Alex, who was in the middle of a pose.

Piper chewed on her lower lip as she picked up her piece of charcoal and waited for the next pose to begin.

 

* * *

"That's pretty good!"

"Uh?" Piper suddenly looked up from her drawing and towards the person hovering over the bench. A pair of green eyes met hers.

"I said that's pretty good!" laughed Alex in a raspy voice. Her green eyes gleamed with amusement down at Piper.

Piper found herself blushing underneath the other woman's gaze. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She was taken aback by the sight before her. Alex was even more breath-taking up close.

Alex continued to smirk at Piper, who continued to stare at her in awe.

"What? Do I have something on my fucking face or something?" Alex asked in a joking manner.

Piper finally realized what she was doing and blushed again as she smiled apologetically at the other woman before averting her eyes. She then took this opportunity to look around the room and was a little startled to discover that the class had ended. She hadn't heard the class wrap up. It was just her and Alex. She had been too into her drawing.

"Oh," she stated as she rubbed the side of her face and looked back up at Alex, who was still looking at her with a smirk playing on her face.

"That's right, blondie, class is over," she stated.

"I should go," whispered Piper as she downcast her eyes and suddenly rose to her feet. She began packing up her drawing supplies and shoved them back into her messenger bag while Alex continued to stand there, watching her in amusement.

"What's the rush, kid?" asked Alex. Her raspy voice sounded like sex to Piper's ears.

The blonde didn't say anything in reply as she quickly unclipped her pad of paper and began to roll it up. She avoided the other woman's eye. She felt like such a fool at the moment underneath her gaze. Never before had she felt such an attraction to another person then she did at the moment with Alex.

This baffled the blonde.

This tall, beautiful woman standing before her was a complete stranger to her. She didn't even know Piper's name yet. However, the blonde wanted to know more about her. She wanted to know if she did any other modeling beside figurative classes. Where did she grow up? Where did she live? How old was she? The list went on and on. Piper wanted to know everything about this Alex woman.

But as much as she desired to know about her, Piper was shy to find out. "Well, I should be going..." Her voice trailed off as she once again got lost in beautiful blue-green eyes.

Alex just continued to smirk at Piper as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Piper couldn't help but swoon at this little movement. It was the sexiest thing she had ever seen, she thought.

"It was nice meeting you...?"

"Piper! My name is Piper!" blurted out the blonde nervously.

Alex's smile deepened at this. She was clearly enjoying Piper's nervousness around her. "Piper," stated Alex, testing the name out on her tongue, "Piper. I like it."

"My name is Alex," the brunette then stuck her hand out in front of Piper to shake.

Piper nervously bit down on her lower lip as she looked from Alex's face down to her outstretched hand and back. She then shuffled the pad of paper to her other side before reaching out and placing her hand in Alex's. As skin touched skin, Piper felt a jolt of something course through her.

She didn't know what it was or how to describe it even. It was like she had been suddenly electrocuted or something. Her blue eyes flew up to Alex's face, seeing if she had felt it too.

Alex no longer had an amused expression on her face. There was something else there, thought Piper, she just wasn't sure what it was. Alex's green eyes continued to pierce deeply into Piper's. Time seemed to stand still at that moment as they continued to hold each other's hands.

"I hope to see you again, _Piper,_ " whispered Alex as she pulled her hand away from Piper's and smiled. She then winked at the blonde as she continued to just stand there in utter shock, before walking out of the room.

Piper just stood there for a moment longer in the empty classroom, trying to regain feeling in her body before leaving herself.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the next day as Piper ventured out of her apartment in search of the bar, Coyote.

After asking a few people on the street, she had finally been able to locate where the bar was. Piper was a fit of nerves to say the least. Not only had she not gotten a very good night's sleep after her interaction with that Alex chick yesterday, but it had been also been a long while since she had applied for any sort of job. Her parents had always supported her during her years in college.

She didn't know what to expect really.

The blonde nervously bit down on her lower lip as she got off the subway and began to follow the directions that someone had graciously drawn out for her on a napkin. She normally would've just Google-mapped the bar, but she had no internet at her apartment, so she had to do things the old-fashioned way and relied on others for the information. She found her heart was beating rapidly with each step she took. She didn't know why she was so damn nervous. She was just merely going to hand in her resume.

That was it.

She wasn't going in for an interview or anything...

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach. She just couldn't shake the feeling that once she entered this bar that something big was going to happen to her. She didn't know exactly what or why. She was only applying to be a waitress, which was hardly life-changing...but it felt like it was going to be. Her life, she felt, was going to change, and hugely. She was both excited and nervous by this, for she didn't know if this change that she sensed was coming was good or bad. She was hoping that it would be for the good.

It was just past five as Piper looked up at the neon sign glowing in the afternoon light. It didn't look like much, she thought as she continued to study the front of the bar. It wasn't one of those chic uptown bars that she was always hearing about but was rather kind of grungy and run-down looking. It looked like any other bar in America. Her mother would hate it, she thought.

A small grin spread across her face at this. And that's why she loved it even more.

Piper continued to stand there looking at the exterior of the bar for a moment before heading inside.

It was now or never, she thought.

* * *

"Vause, where were you at last night?"

Alex Vause looked up from where she was opening a box and over to the much smaller woman standing before her. Nicky Nichols had her hands on her hips and was smirking at the tall brunette, which was not at all an uncommon expression for the bushy-haired blonde. She was always highly amused by most things, and this moment was no different as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued to look at Alex. "I was surprised to see Big Boo serving last night and not you."

Alex cocked an eyebrow. "What? I told you I was modeling for Jones's class again."

She studied Nicky's unwavering grin for a second longer before going back to unloading the box of alcohol at her feet.

"Your girl came looking for you," started Nicky, her brown eyes burning into Alex's back.

Alex almost dropped the two bottle of vodkas she held in her hands as she snapped her attention once again onto Nicky. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Her voice was filled with shocked outrage as she gawked at the other woman.

Nicky's smirk just deepened at this. "Nope. Wren came fucking by, looking for you last night."

Alex couldn't help but sigh at this. Wren was her ex-girlfriend and couldn't seem to get over the fact that it was over between the two of them. "That fucking bitch," she swore underneath her breath as she placed the two bottles onto the counter of the bar and bent down for two others.

"Yeah, Pornstache had to throw her out. She started a fight with Tricia," explained Nicky as she recalled the events last night. It had been a pretty busy night when Wren had decided to show up demanding to see Alex. The two of them had broken up over two weeks ago, and it had gone pretty badly.

"Well, if she shows her fucking face again tonight, I'll deal with it," Alex stated simply as she finished unpacking the box and went to get another one.

As the tall brunette headed into the back, the door to the bar opened and a pretty, young-looking blonde entered.

Nicky immediately turned around at this and looked over at the newcomer, who stood hovering in between the tables. Her eyes scanned over the blonde, checking her out. The woman had long wavy blonde hair that fell just below her shoulder, and she was wearing a tight pink v-neck t-shirt, a jean mini skirt, and white Vans. She looked like she was tourist of sorts, thought Nicky.

A hot tourist, though.

"Hey, Blondie!" cried out Nicky, drawing the newcomer's attention to her.

Piper immediately looked over to the woman standing behind the bar. She hadn't noticed her standing there, until now. Her blue eyes widened slightly as she recognized who this woman was. She had seen her just yesterday. She was lion-mane. A small smile crept across Piper's face at this.

"What's so funny, blondie?" Nicky asked with a quirked eyebrow, clearly amused by Piper.

Piper couldn't help but blush. She realized she must look crazy to this woman who didn't have a clue on who she was. "Nothing," replied Piper quickly as she tucked her hair behind her ears and took a small step towards the bar. "I was just wondering if you were hiring... I saw the wanted ad in the paper... for a waitress?"

Nicky, once again had that amused look plastered on her face as she continued to gawk at Piper. She then slowly came around the bar and towards Piper. She was much shorter than the newcomer was, but that didn't bother her. "We just put that in the ad. We are really looking for a dancer. Can you dance?"

Piper's forehead wrinkled in puzzlement at this. She didn't understand. "A dancer?! Like, a stripper?"

A deep, throaty chuckle was resounded from Nicky's throat at this. "Sure. If that's your speciality, blondie. Red's always talking about wanting to change things up around here. I'm sure she wouldn't mind adding a striptease to the program."

Piper could feel her cheeks flushing again at this. Was she being serious? she thought. What kinda place was this? It just looked like a normal bar to her as her eyes swiped over the interior of the room. It was filled with ten or so tables and five booths that ran along the far wall. There was a pool table and an old jukebox. There was no stage or anything like that, so she didn't know where this dancing would take place.

"I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong place," Piper murmured quickly as she began to turn on her heel to leave when she felt someone grab her wrist. She immediately turned to lock eyes with Nicky again.

"I'm just fucking with you, blondie," clarified Nicky as she dropped her hand from Piper's wrist and smiled widely at her. "We are looking for a waitress. But Red's the person you want to talk to. Let me get her." Nicky grinned at Piper before leaving her standing at the edge of the bar while she made her way into the back.

Piper just stood there dumbfounded, clenching her resume and the napkin in her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. That lion-mane worked here. She wondered if that meant that Alex worked here too?

Piper didn't have to wait very long to find out as Alex entered the room from the back, where the Nicky had just disappeared to.

Alex almost dropped the box of liquor she was carrying as she looked at Piper. Nicky had told her that there was a hot blonde that she needed to check out at the front, but she hadn't expected to know her already. A toothy grin spread across Alex's face as she locked eyes with Piper.

"Piper!" she spoke in that raspy voice of hers, caressing each syllable slowly against her tongue.

Piper just stood there frozen to the spot as she watched Alex place the alcohol onto the surface of the bar before coming towards her. Her heart suddenly began to race as she continued to gawk at the brunette. Again she couldn't believe what was happening. This was the very last thing she expected when she walked through the door just a few moments ago. She smiled nervously underneath Alex's gaze.

"What? No hi?" teased Alex as she adjusted her glasses on her nose and smirked at the blonde.

"Hi," whispered Piper shyly after finding her voice.

Alex's smirk deepened at this. She was just a mere foot away from Piper now, and her green eyes stared intensely into Piper's. She hardly knew anything about this blonde, but that didn't matter to her. Alex didn't need to know every little detail about someone to know whether she liked them or not. She felt an immediate attraction to this Piper girl. And she had a pretty good feeling that Piper felt the same way by the way she blushed and looked away shyly from her.

The two women stayed like this for a second before Alex reached for the paper in Piper's hand. She assumed it was her resume.

Piper blinked in surprise at this. "Do you own this place?" she asked as she self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest and watched Alex's eyes move across her resume.

Alex couldn't help but huff at this. "Hell no!" she replied as she looked up at Piper again. "This is Red's place. I'm just the fucking bartender," she said, gesturing to the shelf of various organized liquors behind her.

Piper nervously nodded her head in understanding at this. She bit her lower lip as she realized that Alex still held her resume in her hands.

"Piper Chapman," read Alex out loud. "A Smith grad..."

Piper blushed again at hearing her full name on Alex's lips.

"With excellent listening skills. Passionate about making diners feel good. Mmmhm, seems kinda dirty..." Alex cocked her eyebrows at Piper at this and continued to smirk at the blonde. "Safe, clean and careful when handling food and drink..."

Piper immediately snatched her resume away from Alex before she could mock her even further. Yes, the resume was filled with bullshit, but she really needed this job. Plus, everyone fibs a little on their resume, she thought defensively.

Alex couldn't help but let out a raspy chuckle at this. Her green eyes gleamed with mischief as they continued to peer over at Piper.

Neither woman said a word for a second as something passed between them.

"I like that in a woman," Alex's voice was a little lower now. Gone was the playfulness of her tone and replaced with something else. She liked Piper, she thought to herself as she continued to stare into those bright blue eyes of hers. And she wanted her to get to know her more.

Piper felt the back of her neck begin to sweat a little as she continued to get lost in those green eyes of Alex's. Never before had she felt so instinctually drawn and attracted to a person than she did at this moment with the woman. The blonde slowly licked her lips as she tried to think of how to respond.

But before she could, they were interrupted by Nicky and an older woman coming into the room.

"So! I hear you're looking for a job, blondie!" stated the older woman in a Russian accent.

Alex and Piper immediately turned their attention to the newcomers in the room. Piper nervously swallowed as she looked at the spiky-haired woman whom she could only assume was Red.

"Yes, I am," Piper answered, her voice coming out a little shaky at first. She was still trying to get over her encounter with Alex from just a mere moment ago. Piper could still feel Alex's eyes burning into her back, but she fought the urge to look back as she tried to lock her eyes on Red.

Red didn't say anything as her eyes swept over Piper from head to toe for a second before holding out her hand.

Piper hesitated at first, not exactly sure what Red meant by this gesture. It then dawned on her that the Russian wanted to see her resume, so she quickly handed it over.

A deafening silence fell over the room as Red read over the sheet in her hand. Unlike Alex, Red didn't read out loud from it or mock it in anyway, instead reading every word carefully and seriously. She didn't hire just anyone to work here. She had a special group of girls who worked for her. It was like family here. Everyone was carefully selected by her.

"You don't have much experience," stated Red as she peered at Piper over the rims of her glasses.

Piper nervously bit on her lower lip again at this. That was true. She didn't have much experience with waitressing. "I'm a fast learner," she stated in hopes of persuading Red to give her a job.

Red looked from Piper to the resume and back. She was a pretty girl she thought. The customers would like her. They always seemed to like fresh meat in the joint. She was quiet as she pondered this for a moment longer.

"Please. I really need the job..." Piper didn't usually beg, but it was true. She desperately needed this job. _Any_ job for that matter. Her blue eyes pierced into Red's, pleading with her silently to give her a chance, at least.

"O.K." stated the Russian woman as if reading Piper's thoughts.

"What?" asked Piper in shock.

"O.K.," stated Red again as she handed Piper back her resume. "I'll give you a chance, blondie. You start tomorrow night at 8."

Piper's face broke out into a wide smile at this. She was overcome with joy at hearing this news. "Thank You! Thank You!" she cried as she suddenly threw her arms around Red. "Thank. You. So. Much!"

The usually very serious Russian couldn't help but smile slightly at the blonde's reaction. Never before had someone been so happy to work for her. She patted Piper lightly on the back before pulling away.

"Don't be late," murmured Red, once again drawing a serious expression on her face.

"I won't. I won't," promised Piper quickly to Red. She wouldn't dare to be late, she thought. "Thank you again! You won't regret this!" She smiled again at Red before waving goodbye and rushing out of the bar.

The trio of women just stood there dumbfounded for a moment before reality once again came crashing down around them.

"What are you two staring at? Get back to work!" cried Red as she addressed Nicky and Alex. The Russian woman stared intently at them before heading towards the back and to her office.

Alex and Nicky watched her go before turning to each other and smirking.

"Well, things just got fucking interesting around here," Nicky commented as she wagged her eyebrows at Alex and grinned.

Alex couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. It would be fucking interesting to have Piper around now, she thought to herself as she brushed her hair off of her face. Red didn't like her staff dating each other, but there was no real rule about flirting, she thought. She would enjoy very much having Piper around. She was suddenly overcome with excitement to be working tomorrow night.

This wasn't something that Alex Vause was often used to feeling.

* * *

It was late at night as Piper lay out on the fire escape in nothing but boy-shorts and a loose tank top. It was humid out that night, and she couldn't sleep.

Not only was it too hot, but she couldn't seem to shut her mind off despite her trying to. She was so ecstatic at the moment knowing that not only had she gotten the job, but she was also going to see Alex tomorrow. She wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling for the brunette. She wouldn't say it was a crush, necessarily, but it was an intense attraction of some sort. She had felt this before for guys but never for another girl, at least not that she could remember.

Sure, Piper had always found girls attractive in an aesthetic way, but what she was feeling for Alex was different, she mused. It was strong, whatever it was. Just thinking about it now gave her butterflies.

She couldn't help but grin as a warmth spread through her entire body.

To say she was looking forward tomorrow was an understatement.

She couldn't fucking wait for tomorrow night.

Just then her cell-phone began to go off, and her ear was filled with the familiar sounds of Hot Child in the City. Piper glanced at the display before answering it. It was her best friend, Polly, calling her.

"Hey," whispered Piper into the phone as she pressed it to her ear and sat up from her position on the cold iron flooring of the fire escape.

"Hey, stranger," replied back Polly.

"I know. I know. I forgot to phone you back last night. I'm sorry," apologized Piper as she rubbed the side of her face with her free hand. After returning home from the figurative class last night, she had forgotten to call Polly. She had been too flustered from her meeting with Alex.

"It's okay. I understand. You have this glamorous New York life now," Polly began with an undercurrent of sad bitterness.

"Pol, it's not like that. I've just been busy settling in and trying to find a job. Which I did by the way," Piper couldn't help but smile as she thought about this fact.

"Yeah?" Polly asked more perkily. "Where?"

"I'm the newest waitress at Coyote," Piper answered proudly.

"A bar?" Polly didn't sound too thrilled by this as Piper was. "I dunno... That doesn't sound very promising."

"What? I just need to make money. I'm not going to make a career out of it or anything like that."

"Yeah, I know. You're going to be a famous artist."

"God, you sound like my _fucking_ mom," Piper hated how much flack she was getting from both her mom and her best friend over going into the art field. "Plus you're one to talk. It's not like you have such a great career. You're a fucking receptionist."

Piper heard Polly's distinct sigh over the phone. She could perfectly picture her best friend rolling her eyes at her. This wasn't the first time that the old friends were having this discussion.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Polly changed the topic. "So have you met anyone yet?"

Piper felt her face once again turning up into a smile as she thought about Alex. She debated whether or not to tell her best friend about her. Polly wouldn't exactly flip out at Piper if she mentioned her. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to spill her feelings. It was still all new to her too. But she knew that she couldn't lie to Polly either.

"Well, there is someone," she replied slowly. "But I only just met them..."


	3. Chapter 3

Piper arrived back at Coyote promptly at eight o'clock the next night. She didn't want to arrive early, appearing too eager, but at the same time, she hadn't wanted to be late. Hence, arriving exactly on time.

However, her luck was looked like it was going to hit a wall as she was stopped at the entrance by the bouncer.

"Can I see some I.D., please," stated a tall guy with a seventies-style porn star moustache. His brown eyes blazed into Piper's as he blocked her entrance into the bar.

Piper frowned slightly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"I need to see some I.D., blondie!" stated the bodyguard, clearly not amused by Piper's dumb blonde act.

However, it wasn't an act. She really didn't understand why she had to show I.D. to get into the bar since she hadn't the first time she came there. She stood there staring at the guy for a minute before letting out a sigh and reaching into her purse for her I.D. She didn't really think this was necessary, but she guessed that he didn't know she worked here or, at least, was going to be working here. At the moment he just thought she was some underaged college student trying to sneak into a bar.

"Here," she stated as she handed over her driver license to Pornstache.

He didn't say anything as he snatched the I.D. from her and studied it hard for a moment before finally allowing her through.

"Thank you," spoke Piper as she took her I.D and walked quickly past him. She was most definitely going to be late now, she thought as she made her way into the bar, shoving her license back into her purse.

The bar was surprisingly quiet as Piper hovered at the entrance for a second, looking around the room before her eyes fell onto two figures seated by the bar. She then made her way across the room towards them.

"And there she is..." observed Nicky as she looked up at Piper.

"Right on time, blondie!" commented Red as she looked down at the gold watch she was wearing and then over at Piper. They had been waiting for her. She had told her to be here at eight, and here she was, exactly on time.

Piper just smiled shyly at this. She nervously tucked her blonde hair behind her ears as she continued to look between the two women. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Alex wasn't there with them.

"You can't wear that," stated the Russian simply as she gawked at the blonde and what she was wearing.

Piper's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked down at herself. She was wearing a black tank top, blue jeans, and white vans. She hadn't really known what to wear. She had just assumed that there was no dress-code since it was only a bar.

"Oh!" stated Piper as she looked back up at Red, who had jumped off the bar stool and was reaching for a pile of clothes resting on the surface of the bar.

"Here," stated Red as she shoved the pile of clothes into Piper's hands. "You can change in the back. Nicky will show you." The Russian then left the bar area and headed over to a table where a group of men were seated.

Piper clenched the clothes to her chest as she watched as the older woman walked away. She watched as Red tilted her head back and laughed loudly at something one of the men had said. Her eyes lingered there for a moment before shifting to the shorter woman with the wild hair of curls. She assumed that she was Nicky. She had met her yesterday but she hadn't caught her name.

"Hi, I'm Piper," she spoke warmly as she held out a hand towards her.

Nicky's brown eyes looked between Piper's hand and face before a smirking. "Name's Nicky!"

The two women then shook hands before Nicky gestured with her head for Piper to follow her to the back.

"Come on this way, blondie!"

Piper didn't say a word as she quickly followed the other woman to the back of the bar.

"You can change in here," explained Nicky as she gestured to a small room that looked to be more of a supply closet than a dressing room.

Piper hesitated as she took a step into the room and looked over her shoulder at Nicky, who was leaning against the doorframe, smirking at her.

"What!?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at the blonde. "There's nothing to be shy about, blondie. We all got tits and vaginas here."

Piper could feel the warmth return again to her cheeks as she continued to look at Nicky for a moment. The blonde usually wasn't this shy. She had no problem changing in front of other women at the gym and such, but when she had an audience like she did now, that made her squirm slightly.

"I'll be back in five," chuckled Nicky as she gave Piper her privacy.

Piper made sure that Nicky had indeed left before shutting the door behind her. She looked around the small room for a place where she could put her things while she changed but came up empty. There was no available surface anywhere. Every shelf was crammed full with supplies and random foodstuffs.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she dropped the uniform and her purse onto the floor and kicked off her shoes.

The blonde had her back to the door as she stood there barefoot and stripped off the tank top she was wearing. She folded the shirt before placing it down on the floor and bent over, reaching for the red t-shirt she had been given. As she did so, the door to the room opened.

Piper shrieked in surprise at hearing the door open and straightened her back immediately before turning to look over at the figure standing in the doorway. She didn't bother to cover herself, thinking it was just Nicky returning to bother her again. However, she was very wrong.

A pair of very familiar green eyes were piercing back at her.

"Hi," she whispered nervously to Alex.

Alex let out a raspy chuckle as she continued to look at Piper in amusement.

" _Helllooo_ , Piper!" the dark-haired woman whistled as her eyes roamed up and down Piper's body. She liked what she saw very much. The blonde was wearing a pale pink bra pushed up her small breasts and put them on display nicely. Alex couldn't help but allow her eyes to linger there for a second longer before meeting Piper's eye. She smirked as she noted the pinkness in the blonde's cheeks.

"Don't be shy," she whispered as she came into the room and closed the door behind her.

Piper didn't say anything as she looked on at Alex for a second before once again reaching for the red t-shirt on the floor. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she tried not the let her nerves show as she continued to get dressed.

As she pulled the shirt down over her head, she glanced briefly over her shoulder. She blushed again as she met Alex's eye, who was still smirking.

"What?" she asked, snapping a little.

Alex cocked an eyebrow at the blonde's sudden temper. "Nothing," she replied, trying to force the smile away from her face. Despite her efforts, her lips turned up into a smirk.

The two women continued to look at each other for a moment before Piper shyly looked away, suddenly realizing that Alex wasn't wearing a top. Her cheeks were flaming red as she turned her back to the brunette and bent over for the black skirt. She could feel Alex's eyes still burning into her face, but she didn't dare to look at her as she shimmied out of her jeans and quickly changed into the skirt. Piper couldn't help but be grateful that she had done her laundry the night before and was wearing a decent- looking pair of panties. She then shoved her white Vans back onto her feet and gathered up her clothes and purse before straightening her back and turning once again to face the closet's other occupant.

Alex adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose and smirked at Piper as she turned around to face her. The brunette was now dressed and wearing the same red t-shirt that had the word _Coyote_ written across the front of it in white printing.

"You can keep your purse and other personal belongings in the filing cabinet in Red's office," explained Alex, noting the items that Piper had clenched in her hands.

Piper found herself gawking at Alex's red lips and realized belatedly that she hadn't heard a single word the brunette had just said. "Sorry, what?" she asked as she forced her eyes onto Alex's.

A raspy chuckle released from Alex's mouth at this. "I was saying...follow me, kid." She looked at Piper with amusement for a moment longer before grabbing her own bag off of the floor and opening the door.

* * *

"So, blondie," began to explain Nicky.

"It's Piper," corrected Piper to the shorter woman, who was currently going through the layout of the bar with her.

"And this is the backroom. There isn't much to see here. Just supplies and shit," continued Nicky, ignoring what Piper had said. She was very aware of what her name was, but she was just having fun messing with her.

"So, what do you think so far, blondie?" asked Nicky as she turned to address the blonde.

"It's _Piper_! Piper Chapman!" Piper was trying not to let her annoyance show, but it wasn't starting to bug her that this Nicky person couldn't get her name right.

Nicky just looked on at Piper with amusement. "Yeah, I heard you, blondie! It's Piper. But I think I'm going to call you Chapman instead, though."

Piper gawked at Nicky in puzzlement. She didn't know if she was asking if it was okay to call by her last name or was merely stating it, not giving a _fuck_ what she thought? Piper was going to go with the latter on this one.

Nicky just chuckled at the look on Piper's face before gesturing for her to follow her back into the main area of the bar. The real lesson was about to begin.

The tour was over.

Piper let out a brief sigh and ran a hand through the back of her ponytail before following Nicky. She hadn't even been here for a full hour, and she was already getting mocked and teased. It was going to be a long night, she thought. Since it was a Wednesday night and pretty slow at the bar that night, she had been told to shadow Nicky, who was apparently a seasoned waitress.

* * *

"So when does something exciting happen?" asked Piper as she looked over at Nicky, who was now seated at the bar and doodling away on a notepad. There was only about an hour or so left before last call.

Nicky's wild mane of hair fell down her back as she suddenly snapped her head up and looked at Piper, who was standing behind the bar. "Oh, it's always exciting around here, Chapman."

Piper didn't know what to make of that as she looked away from the shorter woman to scan the room. There was only a handful of people scattered throughout the bar drinking, mostly older men, drinking alone. It was kinda depressing, thought Piper. She thought it would be a lot more fun working here, but she supposed it was probably just the middle of the week. Nicky had told her that their busiest days tended to be Thursday through Saturday.

Piper couldn't help but sigh as she placed her elbows onto the surface of the bar and rested her chin in her hands. She was bored to say the least. It was just her and Nicky at the moment. There had been another waitress working earlier, a Mercy, but she had left over an hour ago now. Even Red had already left, which Piper had been surprised by. She had thought surely that the Russian would have stayed until the last call at least, but the bar owner seemed to trust Nicky enough to close up. The two of them seemed to have some sort of mother-daughter relationship going on.

"Is that a tramp stamp, I see!?" asked Alex as she came up close behind Piper to touch her at her waist.

Piper jumped up at this, immediately turning around and pulling down her shirt which had risen up, displaying the tattoo she had gotten at nineteen.

"Come on," whispered Alex mischievously as she tried to get Piper to turn around again. "Let us see it."

"No!" cried out Piper as she tried to side-step Alex, who was suddenly towering over her.

"Why are you so fucking shy?" asked Alex with an amused look on her face, "I won't bite."

"No!" cried out Piper again, a smile appearing on her face as she continued to get lost in Alex's green eyes, butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

The two women stayed like this for a moment, getting lost in the other's gaze. They were so close to one another at the moment.

Piper felt a surprising feeling of arousal come over her suddenly as Alex breathed down her neck and pressed her body slightly into her. Her mouth hung open as she continued to get lost in Alex's eyes. She desperately wanted for her to kiss her, she thought. This also surprised her. Never before had she felt such a strong attraction to another woman as she did at this very moment. She watched intensely as the brunette licked her lips as if reading her thoughts.

However, before anything could happen, their moment was interrupted by a customer coming up to the bar and ordering a drink. Alex immediately stepped away from Piper to address the customer.

Piper once again found her cheeks flushing as she looked down at her feet and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. She hated how flustered she felt at the moment. She rubbed the side of her face as she slowly turned and looked over at Nicky, who she noticed was looking rather smug.

"What?" asked Piper.

"Nothing, blondie!" replied Nicky, wagging her eyebrows suggestively at Piper. She could read the blonde like she was an open book, clearly seeing what was going on between her and Alex. Fuck, any one could, she thought. The sexual tension between them was thick. Even Mercy had commented on it earlier that night after Piper had nearly spilled a tray of drinks after Alex had touched the crook of her arm.

Alex's behaviour towards the blonde, on the other hand, didn't surprise Nicky at all. The brunette wasn't shy about her feelings. When she liked someone, she liked them, and she made sure that they knew it. And what she was doing with Piper was the same old trap. She was slowly weaving Piper into her web, and it was going to be damned interesting to see if the blonde would fly into it or not. Nicky couldn't quite tell yet if Piper was straight or not. She assumed she was straight, but how she was acting around Alex like a love-sick teenager was throwing off her radar a little. No matter how this played out between the two of them though, it was going to be _fucking_ entertaining. And Nicky for sure was going to have front rows seats, for she didn't want to miss a thing.

* * *

"Here," said Alex as she slid a shot across the bar to Piper.

Piper looked down at the shot glass before glancing up at Alex in puzzlement. "What's this?" she asked, gesturing to the glass.

"It's a fucking shot," replied Alex pointedly, noting out the obvious.

Piper rolled her eyes at Alex's wiseass comment. "I can see it's a _fucking_ shot!"

Alex couldn't help but smirk at Piper cussing. It was the first time she was hearing the blonde swear, and she had to admit, it was kinda a turn-on. She liked her women dirty, and if they had a dirty mouth, even better.

"But what's it for?" continued to ask Piper, who was still confused about why she had been handed the drink. The bar was closed, and Piper had swept and cleaned the place, while Nicky and Alex were counting the till. They were just waiting for Nicky before locking up for the night.

"It's tequila. You drink it!"

Before she could comprehend what she was doing, Piper reached out and whacked Alex playfully on the arm. "Stop being a fucking wiseass! I know what it is. I wasn't fucking born yesterday! What I don't fucking understand is why you are giving it to me?"

Alex's eyes were dark with amusement at this. She didn't know whether to kiss Piper or reply with another snarky comment. However, as she debated on how to reply, Nicky came into the room.

"What's this? Are we doing shots?" asked Nicky as she looked between Piper and Alex. "And you didn't think to wait for _moi_ , Vause?"

Alex just glared at Nicky. She was clearly not amused that Nicky had chosen this moment to come back into the room, especially when she had just had Piper eating out of her hand. She didn't let her unhappiness show for too long though as she glanced back over at Piper, reaching for another glass and filling it with tequila before sliding it over to Nicky. The brunette had already poured herself a shot when she had for Piper.

"I thought we should welcome Piper to the family," explained Alex as she lifted the shot glass into the air and looked between Nicky and Piper. "For surviving her first night!"

"The real test will come this weekend. Then we'll see how well Chapman really does," commented Nicky with a smirk as she glanced over at Piper.

"Thanks?" replied Piper, wondering if she should feel offended or not.

"Oh, I'm only messing with you, Chapman. You did okay tonight," continued Nicky. "Despite spilling a few drinks. You survived!"

Piper couldn't help but beam slightly with pride at this. She had survived her first shift at the bar. And yes, she had messed up a couple of orders and spilled more than one drink. But she was proud of herself for sticking it out.

"To Chapman!" cried Nicky as she lifted her glass.

"To Chapman!" echoed Alex as she glanced again over at Piper and winked. "Welcome to Coyote, kid!"

Piper smiled back at Alex before reaching for her own glass.

All three women clinked their glasses together before downing them in one fluid motion.

* * *

Alex and Piper stood awkwardly outside the bar as they watched Nicky lock the doors.

"Well, ladies, this has been fun, but I gotta get home to my girl!" stated Nicky as swirled the keys on her finger and smiled towards Alex and Piper.

"Say hi to Lorna for me!" replied Alex with a smile.

"Will do, Vause!" spoke the shorter woman towards Alex before turning to Piper. "Chapman!" Nicky bowed her head like she was wearing an invisible hat before turning and started walking down the street.

Piper watched her leave before looking over at Alex. "Well, I guess I'll head home too..." she whispered shyly as she looked over her shoulder before meeting the brunette's eyes again.

"Where do you live?" asked the taller woman as she adjusted her glasses.

Piper hesitated at first before telling Alex her address.

"That's fucking far," commented Alex as she continued to peer down at Piper.

"I can walk," Piper responded simply as she squared her shoulders and straightened her back. Yes, it was a long walk, but she wasn't scared to walk home by herself.

Alex frowned slightly at this. For some reason, the idea of Piper walking home alone at such a late hour bothered her. She knew what kind of creeps were out there at night.

"Let me walk with you," said the brunette after a moment of silence.

Piper's blue eyes widened slightly in surprise at this. "You don't have to..." she began but was cut-off by the brunette.

"I'm going to walk you home whether you like it or not. The city isn't fucking safe at night, especially where you are heading to. I'm walking you fucking home!" stated Alex as she pushed her glasses off of her face and up onto her head and continued to peer intensely down at Piper.

Piper let out a sigh, knowing there was no point in arguing with the older woman. "Okay," she replied. "Follow me."

The two of them walked in silence for a few blocks, both too wrapped up in their own thoughts to make small talk. Piper's insides were screaming with excitement and nerves over Alex walking with her. She knew it was just a friendly gesture, but she couldn't help but squirm with happiness over the fact that Alex felt the need to protect her in some way and that she was _even_ concerned with her safety.

"So, when did you move here?" asked Alex, breaking the silence and glancing over at Piper.

Piper couldn't help but smile sheepishly at this. "It's that obvious that I'm new here, isn't it?"

"Just a little," responded Alex with a grin appearing on her face. It wasn't hard to tell the natives from newbies, and Piper was definitely a newbie.

Piper's smile deepened as she continued to look at Alex before glancing down the street. "I've only been here for three weeks or so," she explained. "I moved here by myself. My parent's flipped when they heard I wanted to move to New York and start my career as an artist."

Alex couldn't help but be impressed by this. It took a lot of guts to move to a new city where you didn't know anyone, thought the brunette as she continued to look at the blonde.

"I know that sounds so cliché. Moving to New York City to be an artist, but it's the truth. Plus, I have always wanted to move here since I was a kid. And now seemed like the perfect time, so..." rambled Piper. She didn't know why she was detailing her life goals to Alex, who was still a complete stranger to her. But she was nervous and she tended to talk a lot when she was nervous. At the same time though, she felt comfortable enough around Alex for some reason to tell her all this. "And you probably don't give a shit about any of this..."

"No, no it's fine," Alex responded, reassuring Piper she didn't mind hearing all this. "That's kinda why I moved to the city too."

"To be an artist?!" Piper couldn't help but sound a little surprised by this.

Alex let out a raspy laugh. "Not an artist. But I moved to the city with a dream to find my dad. He is... _was_ a drummer in a band."

"I'm sorry to hear that," whispered Piper, who had stopped walking suddenly and was looking at the brunette with sympathy.

Alex cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Sorry about what? He isn't dead or anything. He is plenty much alive...that I know of. I haven't kept in touch since that one meeting with him."

"Oh!" whispered Piper in realization.

Alex couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at this.

The two women continued to stand there on the sidewalk looking at each other for a moment longer before Alex tilted her head. "Come on, kid," she whispered, indicating to Piper that she should keep on walking.

Piper blushed slightly before continuing to walk.

"So where are you from?" asked Piper.

"Watchung, New Jersey!" replied Alex with pride. Even though she had pretty much hated where she had grown up as a kid, she was still proud of her roots as a Jersey girl.

"Never heard of it," whispered Piper with a slight gleam in her eye.

Alex let out a raspy chuckle at this. "Where's home for you?"

"Hartford, Connecticut."

Alex nodded her head in understanding at this. She could tell that Piper was from some New England state. She had that preppy, WASPy thing going on.

The two of them walked a few more blocks before Piper stopped abruptly in front of a Chinese restaurant. "Well, this is me," she murmured as she looked up to the second floor, where she had left a light on.

"You live above a fucking Chinese restaurant?!" stated Alex as she smirked at Piper, in the light casting down from the window.

"Shut up! It was the only thing I could afford. And it's not that bad," she explained, pretending to be offended by Alex's comment but still found herself grinning. "If you don't mind the smell of fried chicken."

Alex laughed in reply.

"Well..." whispered Piper. "Good night."

"Good night, kid!" whispered Alex as her eyes looked deeply into Piper's.

For a moment Piper thought that Alex would kiss her by the way she was suddenly leaning in to her. But she didn't.

The moment that Piper had thought had been there was gone in a flash as Alex took a step back from her and grinned, winking before beginning her own trip home. Piper just stood there for a second, clenching her clothes in her hand, watching as Alex left in the direction they had just come from. She waited until Alex turned the corner before reaching for her keys and opening the door to the stairwell.


	4. Chapter 4

Piper couldn't help but squeal as she closed the apartment door behind her and hugged herself. She was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care. She was just so fucking happy at the moment.

And she had no real idea why.

Nothing had really happened between her and Alex. She had just walked her home in a friendly manner. That was it! But she couldn't help but feel like it had been more. Especially when she thought back to how Alex had leaned into her at her stoop. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks return as she thought about how those green eyes had gleamed at her underneath the dull light cascading from her window.

She once again grinned like an idiot as her pulse picked up and butterflies once again fluttered in the pit of her stomach. The blonde continued to think about Alex and her first day on the job as she moved further into the apartment. She dropped her purse and the pile of clothes onto her kitchen counter before making her way to her tiny bedroom. She stripped off her uniform as she went, not caring if she made a mess. Just one of the benefits of living alone. She didn't have to worry about picking up after herself.

Piper stood in the middle of the bedroom in just her underwear as her eyes fell onto the unmade bed. She knew she should probably go to sleep as it was late, but she was wide awake. She felt a surge of energy coursing through her body. She was too wired-up to sleep.

Letting out a sigh, she ran a hand through her ponytail and turned her attention out to the bedroom window.

She stood like this for a moment before clapping her hands loudly together and once again smiling.

She then began to rummage noisily through the chest of drawers that took up a good portion of the bedroom and pulled out a faded white t-shirt that had her high school logo plastered on the front of it. She pulled the shirt over her head before putting on a pair of drawstring shorts.

Piper chewed on her thumbnail as she made her way back into the living room, flicking on the remaining lights of the room before reaching for the pink iPod Nano that she had nestled in the dock. She ran her thumb along the dial, scrolling through her playlist before coming across the song she had been looking for. She hit play before putting the iPod back into the dock, music suddenly filling the apartment.

She shook her hips to the loud bass of the song for a moment before making her way over to the easel that stood erected in the corner of the room. She was suddenly overcome with the desire to paint. She already had a painting in progress resting on the easel, but she took the large canvas down and placed it gently to the side before reaching for a smaller wooden panel. She kept a few smaller panels and canvases on hand for studies and times like these when she wanted to start something new.

She continued to bop her head to the music as she slumped herself down onto the stool and began to paint. She wasn't really thinking about anything as she allowed the brush to glide along the rough surface of the un-primed panel, streaking it with a rich blue line of wet paint. Her body vibrated with excitement as it did every time she started a new piece of work. It was hard to describe, but she got such adrenaline rush when she painted. It was weird in a way she thought, but painting was like her gateway drug.

* * *

"Blondie, get the _fuck_ out of my way!"

"It's _Piper_ ," she whispered as the shorter, bleach-blond girl roughly nudged her way past her. Piper couldn't help but sigh as she watched the younger woman walk away and over to one of the tables.

It was the next night, Thursday, and Piper's second shift at Coyote. Unlike yesterday, the place was jam-packed with people. The staff was stretched thin, forcing Piper to serve on her own instead of shadowing Nicky. It wasn't even half-way through her shift yet, and she already felt like crying. Not only had she screwed up a couple of orders, but she'd fucked up a few drinks as well. This waitressing thing wasn't nearly as easy as she had thought it would be.

She had met some of the other staff that night. There was Tricia, the young blonde with the weird neck tattoo who had just walked past her. Then there was Miss Claudette, a middle-aged black woman with a French-Haitian accent. She worked in the kitchen with a woman named Norma, who Piper learned doesn't talk, _ever_. There was also another bartender working tonight, alongside Alex, a Big Boo. She was a big, beefy woman with a partly shaven head.

Piper felt tears sting her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away. _Pull yourself together_ , she told herself. She couldn't afford to lose it. She was determined to show all of them that she wasn't some yuppy, especially Tricia who had been barking up her ass all night.

She could do this.

She was determined to succeed.

She let out a deep breath before she heard the sound of a bell going off. Her order was up. She quickly grabbed her tray from the bar and walked over to the small serving window that looked into the kitchen. The warm hazel eyes of Norma greeted her over the counter. She gave her a small grin before pushing the plate of cheesy nachos towards Piper.

Piper returned the smile as she took the hot plate, being careful not to burn her hand as she placed it on the tray. She then slowly turned her back to the window and looked out at the crowded atmosphere of the bar. She swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat before slowly beginning to walk, carefully balancing the tray in her hands.

"Slow and steady wins the race, Chapman!" joked Nicky as she passed her on the way to the service window where a new order was waiting for her.

Piper rolled her eyes at Nicky's jab at her. "Fuck off!"

She heard the bushy-haired woman's booming laughter behind her, but she didn't dare turn to see what facial expression Nicky was wearing as she continued to slowly make her way through the crowd and towards her table. She could do this, she thought as she concentrated on the narrow space between the tables. Just one step at a time, she thought to herself.

One step at a time.

One _fucking_ step at a time...

However, as Piper was just a foot away from the table, someone suddenly knocked into her shoulder. The impact took her by surprise, and she took a fumbling step to the side before dropping the entire tray onto the floor.

"Fuck!" Piper swore as stared down at the front of her shirt which was now covered in hot, melted cheese. She could feel the warmth of it burning into her skin through the thin material of her uniform shirt. Her eyes once again filled with tears, but she didn't let them fall as she quickly picked up the fallen tray and plate of nachos. It wasn't until then that she looked over to the person who had just collided with her.

"Sorry, blondie," replied a not-especially-sorry-looking Tricia. The two women held each other's gazes for a second before Piper stormed away. She could feel the tears burning the back of her eyes, but she once again fought the urge to cry as she made her way back to the service window.

"I need another _fucking_ plate of nachos!" she cried as she stuck her head into the window and impatiently rung the bell. She wasn't supposed to touch the bell, but she didn't care. She just wanted her nachos.

Miss Claudette looked up from the stove and over at Piper. Her eyes were small and narrow as they spied Piper coldly. "You will have to wait, child! I've got other orders to fill first!"

"But..." Piper's voice trailed off as she gave up. She just sadly nodded her head before looking away from Miss Claudette. She was so wired up at this moment with emotions. A part of her was embarrassed for dropping the nachos. Another part was fucking pissed off at that Tricia girl. For some reason, she had it out for her. She didn't know why. Piper had been perfectly nice to her, she thought. Rubbing the side of her face, Piper placed the tray as well as the empty plate onto the bar, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh.

"I'll wait for your nachos," came a voice from behind her. Piper immediately looked up at this and over to Nicky, who for once wasn't wearing a smug look of sorts on her face.

"Go take fifteen, Chapman," said Nicky simply as she placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Go clean yourself up." The other's woman voice was gentle and kind towards Piper.

Piper opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, she felt Nicky pushing her towards the back. "I'll cover for you," whispered Nicky into her ear, once again reassuring her.

Piper just looked at Nicky for a moment longer before nodding and making her way to the back. She walked past the kitchen, storage room, and past Red's office towards the small staff washroom.

She closed the door firmly behind her before finally allowing the sob she had been holding to escape from her lips. Tears streamed down her face as she slid down the door to the floor. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged herself. She hated how much of a failure she felt at the moment. She hated how sensitive she was being over some stupid nachos. She was usually stronger than this. She might be a WASP, but she was known to have a temper. She continued to cry for a few moments before forcing herself to her feet.

She quickly wiped at the tears that stained her cheeks before turning on the faucet of the sink. She didn't dare look at her appearance in the mirror as she splashed cold water onto her face. She was determined to be stronger when she went back out there. She wouldn't let this Tricia get to her, whatever the fuck her game was. The water was ice-cold, but she ignored the protest of her skin as she continued to splash her face.

She dried her face with a wad of toilet paper before bringing her attention to her uniform shirt. She peeled most of the cheese off with her fingers before flushing it down the toilet. It didn't look so bad now as she looked down at the leftover grease residue. She tried to rinse some of it off, but the stain had already set into the fabric. She would have to either wash it a couple of times in the laundry or ask Red for a new shirt.

Letting out another sigh, she tucked the shirt back into the skirt before heading back outside. She didn't bother to look at her reflection. She assumed she looked like how she felt, like shit.

As Piper was emerging from the bathroom, she ran straight into Alex.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she whispered as she took a step back from Alex and nervously looked up at her face, chewing on her lower lip nervously.

Alex just smirked at Piper in response. However, it soon faded as she noted the sudden tears welling up in the blonde's eyes. She hadn't seen Piper's earlier collision with Tricia.

"Hey," she whispered as she tilted her head to the side and continued to look at Piper with concern. "Are you okay?"

Piper tore her eyes away from Alex and exhaled deeply through her nose. She brought a hand up to her mouth as she desperately tried to stifle a sob. She rapidly blinked her eyes as she once again tried to compose herself. She felt Alex's hand on her arm, but she didn't dare turn to look at her.

The two women stayed liked this for a moment before Alex's hand traveled down the blonde's arm and took her hand into her own. Piper slowly found herself being led out the back door of the bar and into a darkened alleyway.

Despite feeling like a failure, Piper couldn't stop her heart from racing as she felt the softness of Alex's hand against her own. She could feel the back of her neck begin to sweat as she glanced over at Alex.

The brunette just smirked at Piper before dropping her hand and reaching into the back pocket of her jeans and producing a pack of cigarettes.

"What are we doing out here?" asked Piper as she wrapped her arms nervously around her stomach as if a sudden chill had come over her.

"Fresh air," replied Alex as she cocked an eyebrow and lit a cigarette.

Piper didn't say anything as she watched Alex take a long drag from the cigarette before blowing out a ring of smoke. She had never been a fan of smoking, but seeing Alex lean against the brown stone of the bar and take another drag, she had to admit it was probably the sexiest thing she had ever witnessed.

Alex smiled as she noted Piper watching her. "Do you want one?" she asked in that low raspy voice of hers.

Piper couldn't help but be a little taken aback by this. She felt her cheeks flushing under Alex's gaze. The blonde immediately shook her head and murmured a soft no. The last time she had smoked a cigarette had been back in grade nine. She and Polly had been curious to know what it was like. They had stolen a pack from Polly's mom and snuck up to the second floor bathroom to smoke them. Piper had choked immediately on the smoke as it got lodged in her throat. There was no way she was going to make a bigger fool of herself than she'd already had in front of Alex.

Alex held Piper's eye for a moment longer before looking away briefly.

An awkward silence fell between the two women as Alex finished off her cigarette with Piper just standing there, trying not to self-combust. Her body was still coursing with energy from when Alex had held her hand.

* * *

"Last call!" cried out Red to the few people lingering in the bar.

It amazed Piper how the bar had gone from being filled to the max to now being dead in just half-an-hour. Everyone had just poofed out of thin air or something, it seemed. She chewed on her bottom lip as she looked over at Red who had turned her attention back to the table she was wiping down.

It was just her, Alex, Nicky, and Red left. Tricia had left with Mercy, who had also been working that night. She was surprised to find out that they were a couple. She had been under the impression that they weren't allowed to date each other or so Red had told her. However, it seemed like that rule had been bent for them or Red was just choosing to ignore it.

Piper didn't really care though. She had no intention on dating anyone at the bar...well, that was a lie. She knew if a certain tall brunette with blue tips asked her out, she would most definitely fall on her feet to say yes. However, she didn't expect that to happen any time soon. Alex seemed to be distant with her today. Yes, she had held her hand, but that was it. The brunette seemed to be tense about something. Piper didn't think it had anything really to do with her but more to do with how busy it had been at the bar. Everyone was a little on edge tonight, it seemed, she thought to herself.

As she moved to the next table to wipe it down, she saw the last few people shuffle out of the bar. She then heard someone yell out to Pornstache, who Piper had learned was the creepy bouncer guy she had encountered yesterday, to lock the door.

The bar was silent except for the occasional laugh from Red and Nicky who were joking about something. Piper wasn't paying much attention to them as she continued to move around the room, wiping down the tables and putting the chairs up. As she finished wiping down the last table, she moved to the bar.

Alex, who was in the middle of rearranging liquor bottles, locked eyes with Piper and winked.

Piper could feel her cheeks flushing as she quickly down-cast her eyes and began to throw all her attention onto a discoloured spot in the wood. The stain had probably been there for years, but that didn't stop the blonde as she scrubbed vigorously at it with her dish towel.

Alex couldn't help but smirk slightly as Piper's forehead wrinkled slightly in concentration. She was so damn cute, she thought to herself as she continued to stand there watching her for a second before going back to her own work.

She had to remain casual around the blonde. Red was still here, she told herself. She had to keep the flirting to a minimum. She knew that Red wouldn't be too upset if she did start dating Piper. Everyone knew that Mercy and Tricia were a couple, even if they never said it out loud. And before that, Mercy had gone out with Big Boo. It was how Mercy had gotten the job at the bar in the first place, through Big Boo. However, it wasn't a risk that Alex was willing to take, no matter how strong of an attraction she felt towards Piper.

She needed this job, plain and simple.


	5. Chapter 5

Piper was home asleep, trying to catch up on some needed rest when her cell phone went off beside her head.

_Danger in the shape of somethin' wild  
Stranger dressed in black, she's a hungry child_

She murmured slightly as the familiar tune rang loudly in her ear.

_No one knows who she is or what her name is  
I don't know where she came from or what her game is_

Her blue eyes fluttered open slowly and looked at the display of the phone. She didn't recognize the number that was calling. Letting out a sigh, she turned onto her other side and went back to bed, ignoring the call. It was only 10pm, but she was exhausted. She had just finished her first week at Coyote. It was Sunday, and she wasn't due back to the bar until Tuesday.

 _Hot child in the city_  
Hot child in the city  
Runnin' wild and lookin' pretty  
Hot child in the city

The phone continued to ring before finally going to voicemail. Piper snuggled closer up to her pillow, pulling it underneath her head as a comforting silence fell upon the room. She was close to drifting off to sleep when her phone went off again beside her head a mere moment later. The blonde swore as she rolled onto her back and once again eyed the phone. Her eyes were half-closed as she reached for the phone and answered it, not bothering to look at the display.

"Hello?" she answered in a sleepy voice.

"Are you fucking sleeping?" asked a familiar voice on the other end. "Oh. My. God. She's fucking sleeping!" she heard the person say to someone off in the distant.

"Nicky?!" murmured Piper as she slowly sat up in the bed. She was surprised that Nicky was phoning her. She hadn't even known that she'd had her number.

"The one and only!" stated Nicky, smugly.

Piper let out a deep breath and rubbed her left eye as she waited for Nicky to explain why she was calling her.

"I'm assuming you were catching up on Z's just then, but I'm phoning you to get that small ass of yours out of bed!"

"Why?" asked Piper in confusion. For a second she thought that Nicky was phoning her to come into work. "Are you at the bar?"

She heard laughter in the background as Nicky replied, "No, I'm not."

The sound of that raspy chuckle sent an immediate chill down her spine. She knew that laugh all too well. A smile spread across her face as she was suddenly awake. Before Piper could reply to this, there was a murmur of voices on the other line, and a new voice came on.

"Come on, Chapman! Put on something sexy, and get your ass down here!"

Piper's stomach somersaulted at hearing Alex's voice.

"Wait! What?"

"You heard me! Put something hot on, and get your ass down here!"

"Down where?" asked Piper in confusion as she slowly climbed out the bed and went to go look out her bedroom window. "The bar?"

"No! WE already told you! We aren't at the fucking bar! We're outside your apartment!" cried Alex into the phone.

Piper was in disbelief at hearing this. Alex was outside her apartment...Alex was here. Now! Fuck, swore Piper to herself as she continued to look out her bedroom window which just looked out onto the building next door.

"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! OR ELSE!" cried Alex with laughter in her voice.

"Ok... Ok," replied Piper stupidly before hanging up the phone.

She just stood there in a daze for a moment looking out the window before snapping into action. She threw the phone onto her bed and turned immediately to her closet. She had no idea on where she was going or what she was supposed to be dressing "sexy" for. She hadn't thought to ask. She had been too hung up on the fact that Alex was outside her apartment. That she even remembered where she lived.

That shouldn't be a big surprise though. Alex had made sure to walk Piper home each night after work that week.

After rummaging through her closet a bit for something "sexy" or "hot" to wear, she went for her staple going-out outfit. It wasn't a little black dress but close to it. Piper spied herself in a black leather mini-skirt and a white silk cami in the mirror. The shirt dipped slow in the back and front, making it almost impossible to wear a bra with it. It was a good thing she had small boobs.

After quickly getting dressed and shoving a pair of black strappy stilettos onto her feet, Piper moved into her bathroom, where she tried to do something with her hair. It was disheveled-looking. Letting out a sigh, she just quickly brushed it out and sprayed it with a salt spray, in hopes of giving it a more of a beach-wave appearance. She kept her make-up simple by just lining her upper and lower lash line with a black kohl pencil, making her blue eyes pop a little. She finished off the look with mascara, some concealer and lip-gloss. It wasn't the best make-up job she had ever done, but it was pretty good considering just ten minutes ago she had been fast asleep. She did a quick once-over of herself before leaving the bathroom and heading out the door.

* * *

The air was humid and hot as Alex and Nicky stood on the sidewalk waiting for Piper to come down.

Alex was never one to get nervous around girls, but she found her heart pounding against her chest cavity and an unnerving feeling stir in the pit of her stomach. She was trying to appear cool but knew by the way that Nicky kept on glancing at her that she was failing slightly.

She sucked on her teeth when her attention suddenly shifted towards the door as Piper emerged from it. Alex had dated gorgeous women in the past, but there was just something about Piper that put them all to shame. She hadn't quite figured out what it was though. Yes, Piper was hot, but there was something more than just her physical appearance that attracted Alex to her.

"Well. Well. Well. Look at you," cooed Nicky as Piper emerged from the stairwell and out onto the sidewalk.

Piper smiled shyly as she glanced quickly between Nicky and Alex before turning her back and locking the door. She could feel her heart racing with nerves and anticipation on what the night would hold.

Alex once again allowed her eyes to travel over Piper's body as the blonde moved to lock her door. Alex had seen Piper's body before in all its glory over the past week, but seeing her dressed up in that micro-mini skirt made her toned legs seem like they went on forever. Again, she felt something stir within her. She had promised herself that she wouldn't make a move on Piper. If Piper didn't work at the bar and was just a student in Jones's class, then she would had made her feelings known long ago. But it wasn't that easy. Piper was her coworker, and she didn't want to scare her away. Yes, she could tell that Piper had feelings for her, or at least she thought she did by the way she looked at her when she thought she wouldn't notice. But Alex did.

"So where are we going?" asked Piper as she drew Alex out of her thoughts. The blonde was addressing Nicky, but Alex noted the slight shift of her eyes to her.

"Well, a friend of ours is having a little party of sorts, and we thought you should come along," explained Nicky to Piper. It was really only half of the truth. It had been Alex's idea to invite Piper out, saying she was new to the city and should be shown a good time.

"Okay," whispered Piper as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear and shifted her eyes once again towards Alex. "Cool."

Alex adjusted her glasses and smiled at Piper in response. "Hey."

Piper felt the heat in her cheeks as she dropped her gaze for a moment and smiled at Alex.

"Hey," she whispered back.

* * *

Piper walked slowly behind Nicky and Alex as they walked down the street towards the house party. They had just gotten off the subway and were now in Brooklyn somewhere. Piper had never been here before as she looked back and forth between the row houses that lined both sides of the street.

They continued to walk for a few moments before stopping in front of a brownstone.

"This is it!" declared Nicky.

Piper looked over to the house that Nicky was gesturing to. There were a few people mingling outside of it. The front door was open, and music was blasting loudly from inside and out onto the sidewalk.

"Cool," murmured Piper as she smiled stiffly at Nicky and Alex. She didn't want to appear as any sort of party pooper or anything, but she really was missing her bed at the moment. The blonde was always up for a good time. It was just that she wasn't feeling up to a house party at the moment. But she remained silent on the matter, seeing as she was already here. She might as well enjoy herself for a bit. Plus this night could mean something she thought as her attention drifted to Alex, who was walking just slightly ahead of her up towards the house.

Piper found herself rooted to the spot as Alex turned around to look at her, flashing that sexy smile of hers.

"Come on, kid!"

Piper grinned back in response before beginning to run as best as she could in the heels she was wearing up the stairs and towards the front door.

* * *

The music blared around Piper in the dingy room. The air was thick with the scent of weed.

It was giving her a headache. The sweet, sickly scent was usually something she could tolerate as she had gotten to used to the scent while attending Smith and just being in the vicinity of her little brother Cal's room whenever she went back home to visit. However, tonight she was struggling. The smell was too overpowering for her at the moment. It was making her a little nauseated. She didn't know if it had anything to do with the mixture of alcohol she had drunk tonight on an empty stomach, but it was all a little too overwhelming for her to handle.

Piper continued to stand against the wall by herself, cradling the now lukewarm beer in her hand as she looked through the smoke in the room at the scene before her. There was Nicky with her girlfriend, who had shown up a little later on. Piper had found out her name was Lorna. She was a sweet little Italian girl from Queens. The two of them were seated intimately together on the ugly brown couch that was taking up a good portion of the room. Next to them were two young Latina girls who where passing a bong between each other. The blonde had been introduced to them earlier, but she couldn't quite remember their names. She was pretty sure one of them was named Flaca or something like that. They both had very heavy eye make-up on, but Piper sensed that they were only a few years younger than she was.

Then seated on the floor was another young Latina girl named Daya. She was good friends with Nicky, and this was her house. She was Piper's age. The two of them had a pleasant conversation earlier about art. Daya had told Piper all about her love of Manga and Japanese-styled art. Seated beside Daya was her boyfriend, John, or so she had been introduced to him, but it seemed like everyone else called him Bennett. Piper had only talked to him briefly. He seemed nice though.

All six of them were stoned out of their minds. There were a few others in the room besides them, but Piper hadn't made an effort to introduce herself. Everyone was too lost in their own worlds to notice her standing there alone.

A sigh escaped from her lips before she chugged the remainder of the beer down before discarding the now empty bottle onto the nearby table. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she slipped out of the room. The rest of the house was fairly quiet except for the booming laughter of Big Boo coming from the kitchen as Piper made her way into the hallway and began to make her way up the staircase. She didn't know where she was headed, just that she needed some fresh air.

The house was very hot and sticky to her.

She had no idea what the time was or how long it had been since Nicky and Alex had invited her out as she continued to climb the stairs to the second level of the house. Piper had never been in a row house before, but she figured that it had multiple levels, one of which would lead to some sort of balcony.

After reaching the second story landing, Piper looked around briefly before continuing her way up the stairs.

This led the blonde to a small loft, which she figured was the attic. There were a few cardboard boxes scattered around the room. It was dark, except for the strip of light that was pouring in through the open French doors at the other end of the room.

Piper then slowly began to walk barefoot across the old wooden floors of the room towards the French doors, which led out to a small balcony. She had discarded her stilettos a long time ago.

She didn't notice the person seated on the plastic crate at first as she stepped out onto the balcony.

"Hey," whispered Alex as she blew a ring of smoke out from her lips and looked up at Piper as the blonde stepped out onto the balcony.

Piper was a little taken aback to be seeing the brunette, looking more beautiful than ever, she noted in the pale glow of the moon.

"Hey," she whispered back.

Their eyes lingered on each others' faces for a moment before Piper looked away shyly and out onto the urban landscape stretched out before her. It was breathtaking, she thought. She never thought she would fall in love once again with the City, but she had. She loved it here.

"You having a good time?" asked Alex as she broke the silence and extinguished her cigarette on the cement flooring of the balcony.

"Uh?" murmured Piper as she came out of her thoughts and turned to look over at Alex again.

Aleck chuckled in response to Piper. "I asked if you were having a good time."

Piper opened her mouth to say, yes, she was, but something else came out instead. She had always suffered from some sort of foot-in-mouth disease, and it was always worse when she was drunk like she was now. "You know what...no, I'm not having a good time! The music blaring downstairs sucks. Everyone is just getting fucking high, and I'm exhausted and drunk and fucking starving!"

Alex just grinned and chuckled at Piper as she continued to rant. She knew this wasn't Piper's usual scene, and it wasn't really hers either to be honest. It had been, she supposed, five years ago, but now that she was nearing her 26th birthday, not so much anymore. But despite not wanting to get plastered or stoned out of her mind, she continued to come to these lame-ass parties because of Nicky. And yeah, the first few hours weren't so bad but somewhat fun when everyone was still a little sober and not completely stoned yet. But then that would soon fade away when everyone got a little too drunk and high, and it became pathetic to watch for her.

That's usually when Alex came out here to smoke and be by herself for a bit.

That was probably whey she had invited Piper to come - to keep her company or something like that. And she was very happy now that the blonde was here with her now. She continued to stand there watching and listening to Piper as she drunkenly rambled on before interrupting her.

"You're cute when you rant," noted Alex boldly as she pushed her glasses up on top of her head and stood up at the same time. "Like, you're always cute, but you're really fucking cute when you rant like that...You get this little crease between your eyebrows. So fucking cute, like one of those dogs...a pug!"

Piper's cheeks were flaming red by this point as she listened to Alex talk. Not only was it from the alcohol but also from the way Alex was talking about how cute she was. She hadn't meant to go on a rant like she had, but she tended to have a temper and again when she was drunk, so it really wasn't any surprise that all of this was coming out of her now.

"What?" asked Alex, who was now standing very close to Piper on the balcony. Their faces were just mere inches a part now as Alex leaned over the railing and stared intensely down at Piper. "It's the fucking truth."

Piper looked away from Alex and chewed on the inside of her cheek. Her heart was racing as a cool breeze suddenly touched her very warm skin. She could feel Alex's breath on her shoulder as they continued to stand close together, but she didn't dare to look at her.

She was way too nervous.

"I like you."

Alex's words hung heavily in the air. It was a simple, yet very bold statement she had just made. Alex had told herself she wasn't going to make a move, that she wasn't going to risk her job, but all that seemed to go out the window as she continued to look at Piper in the pale moonlight.

She was beautiful, she thought. From her sun-kissed face with its freckle-dusted cheeks and nose to those dark expressive eyebrows that framed her bright blue eyes that always filled Alex's dreams at night. And then there was those perfect pink pouty lips of hers, which were so fucking shiny and delicious-looking to Alex at the moment.

"I like you," whispered Alex again as she leaned her face closer to Piper's. Her green eyes searched her face before letting out a deep breath. It was now or never, she thought as she lifted a hand up to the side of Piper's face and cupped it.

Piper's blue eyes immediately looked up and locked on Alex's at this. There was an expression of surprise and fear playing on her face.

Alex smiled reassuringly at the blonde, gently running the pad of her thumb along her chin before touching her lips softly to hers.


	6. Chapter 6

Piper stood frozen to the spot, her back pressing up against the railing of the balcony as her hands hung limp in midair. She wasn't sure where to put them exactly. She was afraid to reach out and touch Alex as her lips continued to press softly into hers. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer, and every nerve in her body seemed to be alive and alert at this moment. Her drunken exhaustion was suddenly gone as if someone had just shaken her violently awake.

She felt very sober at the moment.

Her eyes were closed as Alex's touch continued to take her over. It took her a good moment to get over the initial shock of what Alex was doing before she was kissing her back. She couldn't believe how soft Alex's lips felt against her own. She had drunkenly kissed Polly one time on a dare in high school, but other than that she had only kissed men.

Kissing Alex, however, was nothing like any of those previous experiences.

Alex's hands continued to cup the side of Piper's chin, pulling her mouth close to hers as her tongue suddenly parted open the blonde's lips. She sucked softly on the bottom one before running her tongue along the edge of her teeth. She tasted like honey in some odd way, thought Alex to herself. She could taste the beer on her lips, but there was also something else there...a sweetness...?

Whatever it _fucking_ was, Alex couldn't get enough of it.

She knew that kissing Piper would be good. She had dreamt about it enough over the past week...something she had never done before. Alex didn't fantasize much. She was more of a doer, she just went after what she wanted and usually succeeded...Heh. Who the hell was she kidding, she _always_ succeeded.

But with Piper, she found herself acting differently. She didn't want to rush it with her.

But there was only so long a girl like Alex could hold out before making her kill. She was tired of this cat and mouse game that she and Piper had been playing all week.

The cat was hungry, _very_ hungry, and she was going to get that mouse.

Piper's mind was racing as she tried to get her mouth to work properly. She felt like it was her first kiss all over again. She was scared of kissing Alex back in a way, worried that she would do it wrong or something. She wasn't exactly sure...she just didn't want Alex to feel disappointed... But with the way she was struggling now, Alex probably already fucking felt that, she thought miserably to herself. God, when had kissing become so _fucking_ hard!?

She felt like such a slobbery drunken mess as she continued to stand there kissing Alex.

The kiss went on for a few moments longer before Alex pulled away and smirked at Piper.

Piper looked up at her briefly before casting her eyes down to the floor. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as a wave of embarrassment came over her. She was still unsure of the kiss. Well, the kiss in general had been good...really good. Alex had done her part brilliantly, she thought. She just wasn't sure about her performance in it.

"Why do you do that?" asked Alex as a moment had passed. Her voice was soft and low as she continued to peer at the blonde with curiosity.

"Do what?" replied Piper as she forced herself to look back up at Alex.

"Look away like that? I can never hold your gaze for more than a fucking second or two before you look away..."

Piper felt the heat in her cheeks once again return. She chewed on her bottom lip as she fought the urge to look away. They were both silent for a second as Piper tried to find the best way to describe what Alex did to her body when under that smouldering gaze of hers.

"You make me nervous..." she whispered, shyly at the brunette. She felt so embarrassed at this moment telling Alex this. Alex must think she was some complete idiot or something. Some stupid yuppy who has no experience, she thought to herself.

Alex just stared at Piper blankly before her face broke out into a smirk.

"I make you nervous?!"

Piper nodded her head in reply. She didn't have the guts to speak.

"How do I make you nervous?" asked Alex as she titled her head to the side and continued to pierce her eyes into Piper's. "Like is it a good nervous or a bad nervous?"

She was merely teasing the blonde, but there was a general interest in her question. She didn't want Piper to feel uncomfortable around her.

"It's a good nervous..." whispered Piper. It was a _very_ good nervous, she thought when she was around Alex.

The smirk once again returned to Alex's face at this. She was happy to hear that Piper wasn't uncomfortable around her. That was the last thing she wanted for the blonde to feel around her.

The two women continued to stare at each other before Alex reached out and caressed the side of Piper's face.

"You make me nervous too," she whispered as she inched her face closer to Piper's.

Piper couldn't help but be a little taken aback by this. "I do?!"

Alex was one of the most confident people she had ever encountered. Not in a million years would she have thought that Alex would get nervous about anything, let alone about _her_...!?

Alex let out a raspy chuckle at the blonde's reaction. "Yeah...you do, kid!"

The brunette didn't usually admit things like this, but she found Piper was different. She wanted to tell her everything from her hopes and dreams to her darkest insecurities. The walls that she long ago put up around herself, to protect herself from others were slowly starting to come down the longer she was around Piper.

There was a moment of silence between the two women as they continued to look deeply at one another.

"I like you," blurted out Piper suddenly. She hadn't planned on telling Alex her feelings for her...especially when she couldn't make sense of them herself. However, Alex had been honest with her. She wanted to make sure that Alex knew she returned her feelings, too.

"You like me?" Alex was just teasing her now, but she also just liked to hear her say those words to her.

Piper felt her cheeks flush again, but she didn't look away. She continued to hold Alex's gaze as a small smile appeared on her face. She suddenly felt very relaxed and calm as she once again opened her mouth to speak. "Yeah, I like you!"

Alex wrapped her arm around Piper's waist and held her close to her. Her green eyes were dark with lust, gone was the amusement from earlier. She was done teasing the blonde for now as she continued to look at her. She licked her lips slowly in a seductive manner.

"I'm going to fucking kiss you again..."

And before Piper could reply, Alex's wet lips were pressing hard against her own in a passionate kiss.

Piper could feel her arousal building as Alex's wicked tongue continued to explore the depths of her mouth.

Her heart was racing as Alex's hands suddenly began to travel up the back of her shirt. A mixture of nerves and excitement stirred in her stomach at feeling the pads of supple fingers caress her flesh. The blonde was trying to concentrate on what her own mouth and hands were doing, but she was finding it extremely difficult at the moment as Alex's hands crept inch by inch up her back.

She hated how nervous she was at the moment. And it wasn't because of Alex and what she was doing. What she was doing felt wonderful to her. It was more of a fear of not knowing _what_ to do. She once again felt lost on how to proceed with things.

Yes, she liked Alex, very much. It had been a while since she felt such an attraction to someone like she did when she was around the brunette. It was just that Piper had never been with a woman before. And that made her nervous. She didn't want to appear naïve and virginal in front of Alex, who she could assume was very experienced in that department...

She was also afraid that Alex would get bored of her.

That Alex was only in it for the chase and that after she succeeded with her...that she would just toss her to the side. Piper had experienced that before with one of the guys she dated while at Smith. That hadn't been a fun experience. And she was determined not to be someone's plaything ever again, no matter how hot they were. She wouldn't allow herself to be walked over.

Her mind continued to swirl with thoughts as Alex suddenly slid her hands from out of shirt and returned them back to her waist.

Piper felt her body relax slightly for a second before the panic returned.

Alex now had her mouth torn away from Piper's and was kissing the side of her neck.

The blonde usually loved to have her neck kissed, and she was trying to enjoy it, but she could feel the nerves bubbling in her stomach. It was all of the sudden too much for her. It was going way too fast for her to handle. If things continued to escalate like this for them...it was only going to end in one way...

Don't get her wrong, Piper loved sex. And she was sure that Alex was great in the sack.

It was something she wanted, the sex...it was just that she was feeling a little shy about it. She had never been with a woman before, and she would be lying if she said it didn't scare the shit out of her.

That probably explained why she was finding it a little difficult now to breathe as Alex pressed her up against the brick of the house, her shoulder blades digging painfully into the wall.

Alex had her knee nudged between Piper's legs, pressing their bodies closer together than they already were. Piper's eyes were wide open as Alex's mouth continued to suck on the delicate skin of her collar bone. She was trying to get herself to calm down and not to have a panic attack. But she was struggling to compose herself. She could feel her insides twisting as a sickening feeling suddenly came over her. She shouldn't have drunk so much on an empty stomach... It was definitely not doing her any good now. Her vision blurred for a second as she took a deep breath.

Despite the humid night air, a cold chill ran down her back.

She was going to puke, she thought, as she felt the bile rise in her throat.

Her hands, which had been barely touching Alex's waist up until this point, suddenly flew to Alex's shoulders and pushed on her.

Alex had stopped kissing Piper's neck and looked up at the blonde. Her expression was a look of confusion before setting into a hard line of worry.

"Are you okay?" she asked noting the look of distress on the blonde's face.

"I'm going to puke," stated Piper simply as she met Alex's eye for a second before bolting away from the wall and over the railing. She could taste the bitter taste of the bile as it rose from her throat and came out of her mouth.

She closed her eyes as she continued to be sick over the railing. She felt Alex come up behind her and pull back her hair, but she didn't dare look back at her. Alex would definitely think she was some sort of baby now. One who didn't know how to kiss and couldn't hold her alcohol.

Piper continued to be sick for another moment or two before it faded into dry heaving. There was nothing else in her stomach to puke up.

"Are you okay?" asked Alex as she peered over Piper. She was still holding the blonde's hair.

Piper didn't say anything as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and once again tried to compose herself. She had never been so embarrassed before in her life than she was at this moment. She felt her cheeks flush as another wave of nausea washed over her. She didn't think she would be sick again, but at the same time she couldn't be for sure.

"Are you okay?"

Piper just shook her head as she felt the tears sting the back of her eyes. She felt Alex stroking her hair, but she pushed her away. She didn't want to be consoled at the moment.

"Please don't," she whispered as she took a step away from Alex and finally met her eye.

Alex looked on at Piper with confusion at this. She didn't understand why Piper was pushing her away all of a sudden. She cocked an eyebrow as she continued study the blonde. They had been having fun. She couldn't understand what had gone wrong for Piper to push her away like she was now.

"Come on, kid, you can talk to me..." said Alex as she tried to reach out for Piper again. She didn't want Piper to be scared of her. She wanted Piper to talk to her. To feel comfortable around her.

Piper again pushed Alex away. "I should go," she whispered as she tore her eyes away from Alex and looked down at her feet.

Alex frowned at hearing this. This was the last thing she wanted. She didn't want Piper to leave. She wanted her to stay, she thought as she continued to look at the blonde.

"I should go," murmured Piper again before she got the courage to actually do so.

Alex called out after her, but she knew it would do no good. The blonde bolted from the balcony and headed back through the room to the staircase.

* * *

Piper was gently awoken by the sound of a car alarm going off outside the bedroom window.

She stirred slightly in the bed as her eyes fluttered open and a loud yawn escaped from her chapped lips. She stretched her long limbs like a cat before her eyes searched around the mess of her bedroom. There was a brief moment when she had no memories of last night. Her mind was a blissful blank slate for a second before it all came flooding right back to her.

She groaned as it all came back, and an uneasy feeling washed over her. She wished it had all been a bad dream, but she knew it hadn't been.

It was her reality now.

Last night seemed so far away now to her as she continued to lie in bed, thinking about everything. From the call from Nicky to getting wasted at the house party to Alex admitting that she liked her and then the kiss...

She touched her lips as she remembered how good Alex's mouth had felt against her own. It had been one hell of a kiss, or, correction, kisses. They had kissed multiple times. She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment as she remembered what had happened next, after those two great kisses they had shared. She hated how she had gotten sick like that in front of Alex. She knew that it wasn't the actual kiss which had made her puke.

But she was worried that Alex thought it was. She probably thought she was some fucking prude now or something. Why did these things fucking happen to her? Why couldn't she just act fucking normal for once and not freak out like she had? Everything had been going so fucking well up until that moment when her body had decided to have a mind of its own.

"Fuck!" she swore.

She wouldn't be able to face Alex now.

Piper rubbed her eyes as she stared at her wrinkled clothes from last night. She had been too exhausted when she got home to change out of her clothes, let alone wash off her make-up. She sighed as she lay back onto the pillows and closed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on.

At least she didn't have to go into work today, she thought. The only thing she had on her agenda for today was her drawing class which wasn't until later on that night. She planned on spending the rest of the day until then in bed.

But she knew she wouldn't be getting much relaxation done though really. Even know she wouldn't be going to work there was still a pretty good chance she would be seeing Alex today. She assume that she was the regular model for the drawing class. At Smith, in each of her figurative classes she took, they would have a different model each class. But since this was just a open-figurative class and one just at the Y, she assumed they just had one model. She could be wrong on this fact, though.

Of course, she wouldn't figure this out until later on tonight, so until then she would be a fit of nerves that she would have to see Alex again. And not only Alex but Alex in the nude!

God, she was such an artist cliché- falling for the nude model of her drawing class.

* * *

The morning sun was bright as it poured in through the window and onto the bed. Alex moaned as she turned onto her side and covered her head with the pillow. She wasn't in the mood to get up yet.

It wasn't that it was early.

It would be afternoon in less than a hour. It was more of the fact that her head was pounding from last night. She hadn't drank that much, not anymore than she usually did, but she hadn't gotten much sleep either. After Piper had left her, she had headed home herself. She hadn't felt so rejected like that since high school.

And it wasn't really rejection she had felt from Piper. She was more upset with herself for allowing things to go as far as they had with the blonde. She had gotten carried away with things after Piper had told her she liked her. She hadn't been thinking, she thought. She should have slowed things down between them. She just really, _really_ liked Piper.

But she knew that Piper wasn't like the rest of the girls she had dated in the past. The blonde was different. Not just because Alex assumed that Piper was straight. She had been with plenty of straight girls before. But there was just something about the blonde that made Alex want to take things slowly and not just hook up with her.

Alex wanted more with Piper.

But she knew that wouldn't be happening now with the way things had ended between them last night. Not only had the poor girl puked, but she had ran away from her too. Alex knew that Piper had probably felt embarrassed about being sick, and that's why she had bolted like she had. But another part of Alex couldn't help but think it had to do with something of her too.

She couldn't help but think that she might have taken advantage of the blonde in a way.

That had been the last thing she had wanted to happen. She hadn't meant for Piper to feel uncomfortable. She had just wanted to be with her.

"FUCK!" she swore as she suddenly threw the pillow across the room. Why couldn't things go right for her? she wondered bitterly.

Alex was always pretty lucky in the love department. There had only been one or two times when she had been completely rejected and had her heart broken. Since then, she had always made sure to be one step ahead in whatever relationship she was in.

She was always the one breaking hearts, not the other way around.

But again, this time was going to be different, she thought. Alex might have been the one to make the first move with Piper, but she had already known that Piper was different. That the blonde was going to have some invisible control over her whether she liked it or not. The blonde already had control over her.

Normally, if a girl had run away from her like Piper had, she would just shrug it off and say it was her own damn loss, not hers. But she didn't want to just shrug Piper off. She really wanted to make this work with her.

She wanted to show Piper that she didn't just think of her as another notch on her belt like her previous relationships.

Alex just hoped it wasn't too late to repair the damage.

But she would hopefully be seeing Piper later on that night at the drawing class. Jones had called her the other day to model for her again. There was suppose to be another model, so that Alex did every other class. However, the model, Cindy had bailed on her or something. So now, she was modeling each Monday night class for her. Which she didn't mind, really. She enjoyed modeling. It was a nice change from the fast path of the bar. Plus, it didn't pay so bad either for just having her stand in her birthday suite for a butch of strangers.

Well, one of them wasn't a stranger anymore, she thought as Piper's image once again flooded her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Piper couldn't believe that it'd been a whole week since she had last been in the drawing class.

So much had happened in just seven days... Not only had she gotten a waitressing job at a bar, but she had also met the storm that is Alex Vause. The brunette had been a mere stranger to her just a week ago, but now they were friends...well, something. Something crazy and confusing and, now, embarrassingly complicated. She didn't really know anything about Alex, just that she had been raised by her mom in a small town in New Jersey and that she had gotten her bartending job at Coyote through Nicky, whom she had met randomly on the subway one day four years ago.

The blonde nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she took a seat on one of the drawing horse benches. Unlike last time, most of them were empty. Piper had made sure to be early this week for class and not late. She dropped her bag heavily onto the floor causing a loud thudding sound.

Other students began to filter into the room slowly as she pulled out her drawing supplies and pad of paper. She didn't really pay much attention to them though; there was only one person she really cared about seeing, and they hadn't arrived yet. She could feel the butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach, but she tried to ignore the nerves she was felt building.

So what if she was going to see Alex? What was the big deal? So she had practically almost thrown up on her and ran away without an explanation. That was nothing to be nervous about, right?

Piper found herself chewing her bottom lip once more as she heard the classroom door open and that beautiful raspy voice... She didn't dare to look over in her direction, though. What if she saw her staring? She couldn't risk it, she thought as she stared pointedly at the fresh piece of paper clipped to her board. She could hear Alex talking to Jones but couldn't make out what they were saying. She could just hear the laughter in that voice, it was like fucking music.

The blonde could feel her pulse pick up as Jones stepped into the middle of the room and addressed the class. Piper was barely listening as the lanky instructor began to explain how the class would go that night. All her attention had focused on Alex who was taking her position on the stage. The brunette had her back towards Piper as she stepped onto the raised platform and slowly disrobed. Her hair was pinned up tonight, she noted. She had never seen Alex's long hair up before. Last class and at the bar, it had always been down in long loose curls.

Piper couldn't help but think that she had beautiful hair. It was a dark raven colour that reminded her of Snow White or some other fairy tale princess, and the dip dye affect at the ends was almost mesmerizing.

Piper had always wanted to colour her hair a different shade than her natural blonde but had never had the guts to do so, not even when she was in middle school and all her friends were using coloured chalk or jello powder to dye the ends of their hair in different shades and hues. Besides, her mother would have never let her, it was unfathomable. The only colour she was ever allowed to dye her hair was in the ash blonde family.

Like last time, Piper found herself in a trance as she sat there looking at Alex while everyone else around her began to draw. The room filled with the sounds of pencils and charcoal sticks brushing against paper. She nervously fiddled with her own piece of willow charcoal in her hand but made no attempt to draw. Her eyes were fixated on the sight before her.

She could feel something other than nerves surface in her stomach, but she tried not to think about them too much.

This wasn't the time to get turned on...

She continued to sit there in the cool air-conditioned room, watching as Alex switched poses. She was in awe at how gracefully Alex moved her long legs and arms like a dancer. She wondered if the brunette had taken dance classes before as the woman arched her back in a long stretch with her arms above her head and right leg extended out in front of her in a point.

Alex had her eyes closed shut, so Piper couldn't make out what she was thinking, or if she had even seen her for that matter.

She felt irrationally pissed off at this, that Alex hadn't even fucking acknowledged her yet. At the same time, she knew she had no right to be really upset by this, especially after what she'd done last night... But still, she couldn't help but feel unnerved by everything.

Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes briefly and tried not to let her confused anger show. This wasn't some high school class where her crush was ignoring her. Alex was working at the moment.

Of course she was going to ignore her.

As Piper's blue eyes fluttered back open, she noticed that Alex had changed her pose again, this time her green eyes were open and staring straight at her. This sent a jolt of something suddenly through the blonde's body. She never remembered experiencing something quite like she did whenever Alex caught her eye. It was like a shock to the system.

There was something so powerful about those sharply curious green eyes of hers.

The two women held each other's gaze for a second before a small smirk appeared on Alex's face as though the brunette knew what kind of power she held over her.

Alex then winked at Piper before turning her head and showing the blonde her profile.

Piper felt her cheeks flush but tried not to let it bother her too much as she once again picked up her piece of charcoal, which she had seemed to have dropped. She fingered the light willow stick her hand before she drawing her attention back onto Alex.

It was only then that she finally began to draw the sinuous beauty that was Alex's body.

She drew quickly knowing she only had two or three minutes before the pose was changed again. She had always hated these quick poses that were done at the beginning of figurative classes. They were supposed to be warm-ups, to promote quick outlines of the figure and nothing detailed.

Piper, however, would rather focus on the details.

She did find it familiarly comforting how she had to barely think though during these quick poses though. It was just her eyes and hand doing all the work, leaving charcoal trails of what she saw. Her hand moved quickly across the surface of the page, the piece of charcoal never fully leaving the paper as she hollowed out the rough shape of Alex's full figure.

The pose was done, and another one was just about to begin.

She bit down hard on her lip in concentration as she once again began to lose herself in the drawing process. The pose was longer this time, about ten minutes. Still not as long as Piper would have liked, but it still allowed her enough time to go draw out some detail in her strokes. She studied Alex's form for a moment taking in its primal shapes before shifting her hand across the paper. She drew out a large rectangle for the torso and an oval to represent the head. She'd learned at Smith to deconstruct the human body into shapes, almost like they had done in the art movement of Cubism, before slowly smoothing out the edges, rounding corners and eventually adding light and darkness. She had struggled with this process at first when it had first been taught to her but after it being repeatedly drilled into her head by her instructor at the time, she had mastered it by the end of the semester.

Her eyes and hand worked together as she guided the charcoal along the page of the pad. Her movements were light and gentle as the charcoal stroked the paper, stroking the page like she would a cat, petting its fur softly and gently.

There was to be no harsh lines; not yet that was.

Alex was seated in a chair for this pose. The long plane of her body faced head Piper while the brunette's head was turned to the side, away from her. Piper didn't mind this. She knew her drawing wouldn't come out as good if Alex had been staring straight at her, forcing her to look into her eyes.

This way, the blonde was able to admire and draw Alex's body, openly. Once satisfied with the shapes and proportions she had drawn, she began to define the lines more, bringing to life those luxurious curves of Alex's body out onto the page. She started with the broadness of Alex's shoulders. Not like a football player's, but they were broad and slender-looking through Piper's eyes.

She then moved down to Alex's chest.

She once again felt something stir below the belt as she stared at the beauty that was Alex's luscious breasts. Never before had she been so in love with a pair of boobs than she was at this moment with Alex's. She took her time here, wanting to bring the beauty of what she was seeing exactly onto the page. Her wrist curved slightly as she rounded out the shape of each willowy mound on the page. She smudged the charcoal line slightly with her ring finger along the base, adding the slight shadow underneath them.

She admired her work for a second before continuing to add detail to the rest of the drawing, almost in a trance.

* * *

It was the end of class, and everyone had already left. The blonde had taken her time putting away her supplies into her messenger bag. She had wanted to wait for Alex, so she was taking her sweet ass time.

She knew that Alex hadn't left yet because the door to the changing room was closed.

A few moments passed as she closed her bag and finally stood up from her seat. The room was silent as she let out a deep breath. Alex was still in the changing room. The blonde couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by this. She had planned on leaving the same moment that Alex did. She didn't want to appear like she had been lingering on purpose, but at the same time, she wanted to talk to her and apologize for last night.

Piper nervously licked her lips and played with the end of her braid as she slowly began to walk to the classroom door. She guessed she would just leave and talk to Alex tomorrow at work.

However, it seemed like luck was on her side finally because as she opened the door to leave, Alex emerged from the changing room.

Alex was just as shocked as Piper was to see her. The brunette had thought that Piper had left a while ago with everyone else.

Neither woman said a word as Piper stood in the doorway of the room, holding the door open as Alex approached her.

"Hey," stated Alex as she met the blonde's eye and nodded her head in greeting.

"Hey," Piper replied casually as Alex walked past her and into the hallway.

The blonde was trying to play it cool around Alex. She didn't want her to think she was some lovesick teenager or something. She wanted Alex to see that she could play this cat and mouse game too. Especially after the embarrassment she had made of herself last night. If this thing with Alex was going to work, she needed to calm the fuck down.

Piper watched Alex steadily as the door closed behind her. Alex was standing a foot away from her in the hallway, looking like she was waiting for her, but it was hard to tell as Alex wasn't looking at her but down at her phone. The blonde couldn't help but swear slightly in her head at this. Alex wasn't ignoring her per se, but she couldn't help but feel like she was. She was both frustrated at herself for thinking this and pissed that Alex wasn't even acknowledging her.

Piper wanted and had expected Alex to flirt with her like she normally would. Panic began to set in at this. Maybe Alex was mad at her for last night and that she realized what a pathetic loser the blonde really was. And now she didn't want to have anything to do with her. She chewed on her bottom lip as her mind went into overdrive on what to do to make Alex talk to her.

However, as Piper pondered all this, Alex looked up from her phone and over at her. The two women once again locked eyes with each other.

"What's up?" asked the blonde as nonchalantly as she could. She was trying to act as cool as possible, not wanting her nervousness to show.

Alex couldn't help but cock an eyebrow in amusement at this. She was extremely amused by Piper's attempt at aloofness at the moment.

"Nothin' much," murmured Alex in reply as she reached up and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She was trying to suppress the smirk on her lips, but was failing to do so. Piper was just so fucking cute to her at the moment. There was a smudge of charcoal on the bridge of her nose and cheek. She looked like a child who had just come in from playing in the dirt. She had her long blonde hair pulled back into a French braid.

How Alex would love to pull on the tail of the braid with her teeth as her hands worked the folds of Piper's cunt from behind... God, where the hell did that thought come from? She was immediately turned on as the image of her taking Piper continued to linger in her mind.

Alex had promised herself earlier before coming to the class that she wouldn't flirt or do anything around the blonde. She still felt bad about how things had ended between them last night and didn't want to make Piper feel uncomfortable again. So from this point on she was going to hold back and wait until...well, if Piper made the first move.

"Cool," whispered Piper in reply. But she was feeling anything but cool at the moment. Her entire body was drenched in a nervous sweat, but she was trying not to let it show. The last thing she wanted was for Alex to think she was a fucking baby or something.

"Cool," echoed Alex in reply.

Neither had any idea where this conversation was going. But at the same time, they didn't want it to end, despite the awkwardness.

They stared at each other for a moment before being to walk down the hallway together and out of the building.

The air was stale-smelling as they stepped out into the cool summer night.

"Can I walk you home?" asked Alex nervously as she and Piper stood awkwardly on the sidewalk. She once again reached out and adjusted her glasses, fidgeting with them. It was a nervous habit of hers that she didn't even realize she was doing half of the time.

Piper looked at Alex for a moment before down casting her eyes onto the chipped orange nail polish of her toes. She was due for a pedicure, she thought for a second before thinking over what Alex had just asked her. She didn't know how to reply to this. A part of her didn't want Alex to think she needed her to hold her hand and walk her home like a toddler, but at the same time, the company would be nice.

Not being able to decide really what she wanted, she just shrugged her shoulders in response.

"If you want to..."

Alex frowned at this.

This was not the answer she had wanted to hear come out of the blonde's mouth. She wasn't used to this sort of rejection that Piper seemed to be giving. Her green eyes continued to search Piper's face for a second, trying to figure out what she was thinking, but the blonde was wearing an unreadable mask on her face. She couldn't make out anything from her expression at the moment. Alex's frown deepened even further at these thoughts. Piper had always seemed like an open book to her, but since last night, things had changed between them, and this worried her. She hadn't wanted to scare Piper off like she clearly had now.

"Well, I am going in the same direction as you...for a bit that is...so I might as well walk with you..." said Alex slowly as she once again adjusted her glasses and looked down the street. If Piper wanted to act cool and casual towards her, she could too, she thought.

"Okay...cool," murmured Piper in reply as she adjusted the strap of her messenger bag on her shoulder.

"Cool," replied Alex.

The two women stared at each other for a second before beginning to walk down the sidewalk together.

Both were quiet for some time as the sounds of the night consumed them. They had yet to discuss what had happened between them last night with the kiss or kisses.

Alex wasn't sure how to bring it up. Piper already knew that she liked her, and she herself kinda knew that the blonde felt the same way about her. However, she was not blind to that fact that there was some hesitation on her part. Alex didn't get nervous about many things, but she couldn't deny the tension of anxiety in her chest as she walked down the street with Piper.

In the end, Piper was the first one to break. She couldn't take the tension between them any longer. She needed to know what Alex was thinking, even if that meant that she had to possibly fall on her ass while attempting to discuss what had happened last night. They couldn't sweep it underneath the rug and pretend that nothing had happened. Last night had not been so drunken kiss with a random stranger. Feelings had been confessed, and it had seemed like the start of something...

But then, like everything fucking else, she had gone and fucked it royally up but puking and running away.

"So, I just wanted to say that I was sorry," Piper began as she glanced nervously at Alex. "For what had happened last night...I never meant to do that...I just..I dunno I was drunk and... kinda forgot what my limit is...you know?"A nervous giggle escaped from the blonde's throat at this. What the fuck was she doing?! she thought exasperatedly. She had no idea where she was going with all this. She sounded like a rambling drunken mess now and was barely able to even look at Alex. Her blue eyes stared straight ahead at the street lights in the distance as she continued to talk.

"I don't function very well when I'm drunk. And last night was a perfect example of that..."

Alex shoved her hands into the front pocket of her jeans as she continued to walk alongside Piper. She didn't say a word as she listened to Piper talk. She didn't know what to make of all that she was saying. She didn't know if Piper meant she never meant to kiss her...that she had only pretended to like her because she had been drunk? That what she was really saying was that what had happened between them had been the cliché of drunken straight girl kissing another girl just for the thrill of it?

A hard line formed on her face at this. She hated how upset she felt at this moment. She knew that Piper was different, but she had thought for sure her feeling for her had been genuine. That she really did like her more than just a friend. She couldn't help but feel like her sixteen-year-old self again and the first time she had ever been rejected by someone she thought had shared her feelings. She had clearly judged Piper wrong.

The blonde was just another fucking straight girl.

"Are you mad?" asked Piper as they stopped at a street corner and waited for the light to change. She nervously looked up at Alex, who had a blank expression on her face.

Alex just glared at Piper before shaking her head vigorously from side-to-side in reply. "No," she stated coldly.

"You seem mad," stated Piper in a low voice as she continued to study the brunette's face.

"It's fine. I'm not mad. It's okay...I understand what had happened last night had been a mistake...we all do stupid things we're drunk...no hard feelings, kid." Alex's voice was distant but still friendly towards the blonde. Yes, she was pissed off, but she didn't want Piper to know that. Despite everything, she still hoped to remain friends with the blonde. Plus, it would make things at work a whole lot easier if they remained on good terms. The bar already had enough going on with the Big Boo-Mercy-Tricia triangle going on.

"Oh!" mumbled Piper in surprise. That wasn't what she'd expected Alex to say. She didn't know what Alex meant by everything being a mistake... A mistake that she had kissed her? A mistake for saying that she liked her when she didn't really? That she had been drunk too? She was suddenly very confused on everything.

Neither spoke another word for a moment as they watched as the light changed, indicating that it was safe to cross the street. However, as Piper stepped off of the sidewalk and onto the street, Alex decided to change her mind. She suddenly didn't want to walk Piper home. The blonde only had another two blocks to go before she got to her apartment. She knew that she would be fine on her own for the remainder of the walk.

Piper looked over her shoulder as she noticed Alex was still standing on the curve of the sidewalk.

"I'm going this way," indicated Alex as she pointed to the right of her, down another street.

The blonde stopped walking and stood in the middle of the street looking at Alex in utter confusion.

"Wait! What?" she called out to the brunette. "I thought you were walking me home..." her voice trailed off as she once again looked on at Alex. She debated about continuing to cross the street or approaching Alex again. She decided on the latter as she retraced her steps back to the curve, where Alex still lingered.

"You said it fucking didn't matter if I walked you home or not," stated Alex coldly as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the blonde. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed about the sudden mixed signals she was getting from Piper. One minute she was telling her that everything had been a drunken mistake, which was fine, but the next she was acting all clingy and wondering why she wasn't giving her attention.

"Well...I just said that because I didn't want you to think I was a baby or something," stated Piper truthfully.

"Okay," started Alex slowly as she uncrossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. There was a look of confusion plastered on her face at what Piper was getting at. It was getting harder and harder for her to read the blonde every passing second.

"That's why I ran off last night," confessed Piper as she tried yet again for Alex to understand her. "After the kiss...after...everything...I was embarrassed and scared. You have so much more experience in...the lady department then I do. I felt like a complete idiot last night and...couldn't handle what you thought of me afterwards...I practically puked on you."

Alex was trying to keep her composure but couldn't help but smirk slightly at what Piper had just said about puking on her.

"And you probably laughed about it with Nicky after...just like you are laughing about it now..." Piper didn't know why she was even trying to make Alex understand her. It was a pointless discussion. Alex was way _way_ out of her league. She didn't know why she was even trying anymore. She had clearly already blown whatever chance she might have ever had with the brunette.

"I'm just going to go..." Piper then once again made attempt to cross the street. Alex clearly didn't want her around. "See ya tomorrow."

The blonde didn't bother to look over her shoulder as she ran across the rest of the street as the walking sign began to count down. She could feel tears burning her eyes, but she blinked them rapidly away. She wasn't going to allow herself to get upset over this. So she had fucked up and had missed her change with Alex. Big, fucking deal... She couldn't get upset over something that hadn't been really hers in the first place.

Alex stood there, watching as Piper left. Her heart raced as an uneasy feeling settled over her. What the fuck had just happened?! Piper had thought that she had made fun of her behind her back? That she had thought that her puking what fucking hilarious or something? Both of them had clearly gotten their wires crossed, and majorly. Alex had thought that Piper had been trying to let her down gently, that last night had been a mistake. the whole thing. That she didn't really like her...at least not in a romantic way. But now she wasn't fucking sure if that's what Piper had been trying to tell her all along?

"Fuck!" swore Alex underneath her breath at this realization. This time, it was her who had fucked up royally. Piper had only tried to be honest with Alex, and she had fucked up by being too caught up in embarrassing pains of the past instead of listening to her properly. Now Piper thought she'd been laughing at her for puking... When that had been the last thing she had done! She hadn't talked to Nicky since last night at all. Nicky had no clue about what had gone down between the two of them on the balcony last night at Daya's.

"Fuck!" she swore again as Piper disappeared suddenly from her sight. She needed to go after her, she thought. She needed to head to her place and make everything right between them, she thought.

She nervously bounced on the balls of her feet slightly as she yet again waited for the light to change.

* * *

Piper was just pulling out her key and about to open the door when she heard someone call out her name. She immediately turned her head to see Alex come running towards her.

"What the..?" murmured the blonde as she turned her attention away from the door and met Alex's eye.

"Piper," stated Alex as she came to a sudden standstill in front of her and tried to catch her breath. She had run the whole two blocks here. Shit, she hadn't run like that since high school P.E.

Piper didn't say anything as she continued to study Alex, who was slightly bent over, clenching her chest as she tried to drag air into her lungs. The blonde was a little taken aback that Alex had run after her like she had clearly just done. As fucking gorgeous as she was, Piper had never taken the brunette for the physical activity type.

"Piper," stated Alex again as she lifted her head and straightened her back, her breathing still slightly laboured as she looked at the blonde. "I'm sorry."

"What? Sorry for what?"

"I thought... I thought that earlier you had been trying to let me down...that you didn't like me like that...but I think I was wrong...?" Her green eye pierced into Piper's, trying to read her expression. She hoped that she had been wrong. That Piper indeed still liked her.

"You thought I was trying to let you down!?" Piper couldn't help but been amused by this. "I thought you were trying to let me down... I thought I had screwed things up immediately with you when I ran away from you last night!"

A sense of relief washed over Alex at hearing this.

"I thought I had screwed things up after kissing you like I had. I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable or anything like that.." Alex's voice was low as she took a step closer to the blonde. She wanted to once again make her feelings clear and known to Piper. That she liked her and wanted to be with her, however impulsive her feelings might be right now.

Piper was quiet for a moment as she chewed nervously on her bottom lip and studied Alex's face. God, she was beautiful, she thought as she continued to take in the older woman appearance

"It's just that I have no idea what I am doing about this..." she gestured with her hands to the space between her and Alex. "I have no fucking idea what to do about you!"

"Me?"

"I like you," Piper's voice was softer now as she once again confessed her feelings to Alex.

"I thought we already established this," replied Alex with a slight smile on her face. "I like you too, kid."

"But I...I..I...don't know what to do about that..." Her shyness had once again become front and centre as she gestured to the space between her and Alex.

She assumed that Alex could tell that she was straight or had never been with a woman... Well, truth be told, Piper didn't know how to describe her sexuality. Up until this point, she had been only interested in men but had never really gotten the opportunity to be with anyone of the same sex. She had dated her first boyfriend, Larry all through out high school. He was supposed to be the one she was going to marry, or at least Polly did, who thought that Larry was the only person out there for her.

Larry had been a good boyfriend and such, but he wasn't what she wanted. Piper wasn't exactly sure what she wanted, but she did have a good idea on what she didn't want. And at the moment, she didn't want the husband and the white fence like Polly and all her other old high school friends wanted.

Piper wanted a life... her own life.

And that's what she was trying to figure out now.

"That's fine," whispered Alex as she took a small step towards the blonde, "I don't really know what to do about this either..."

Piper's blue eyes widened slightly at hearing this from Alex's mouth.

"Look, I like you, kid, and you like me..." Alex pushed her glasses up on top of her head as she laid it all out on the table. "I had fun last night, and I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in anyway...I tend to get carried away...when I like someone..."

"You didn't make me feel uncomfortable," whispered Piper in response to this. "I should be the one apologizing here...I was the one who practically puked on you and then ran away like a child."

"Is that how you think I see you?" asked Alex in a soft voice towards Piper. "As a child?"

Piper felt her cheeks flush red at this. She down casted her eyes for a second before slowly looking back up at Alex.

"A little..." murmured Piper.

"I see you as anything but..." Alex's voice soft and raspy as she took a step further towards Piper and inched her head slightly towards hers. "I'm attracted to you... I don't fucking care whether you are straight or bi or...whatever..."

"Whatever..." echoed Piper as she felt Alex's hands on her waist and the warmth of her breath against her cheek.

They stared deeply at each other for a second before their lips touched. Piper felt her messenger bag slip from her shoulder and drop to the sidewalk, but she didn't care as the softness of Alex's mouth pressed into hers. Piper immediately wrapped her arms around Alex's neck as she kissed her back.

She didn't have any trouble kissing Alex this time around. She was fully confident in what she was doing as she roughly began to part open the brunette's lips and began to explore the warm depths of her mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

"So what happened to you the other night?" asked Nicky as she climbed up onto one of the barstools and looked over at Alex, who was once again unloading boxes of liquor.

"What other night?" asked Alex in confusion as she looked up suddenly, causing her glasses to slip down the slop of her nose.

Nicky couldn't help but chuckle slightly in amusement as Alex pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. "Vause, you really should just get contacts," stated the shorter woman, "It would make your life a hell of a lot easier!"

Alex just shook her head at the other woman before going back to her box. The two friends have had this discussion before. Alex had worn contacts in the past, but found glasses easier to wear. Plus, she felt bare without her signature black framed glasses on her face. Just like she felt bare with out a line of black eyeliner on her top eyelash.

"Hey, you never answered my question..." cried out Nicky towards Alex, "What happened to you the other night?"

Alex knew that Nicky wanted details on what had happened or if anything had happened between her and Piper on Sunday at Daya's party. The two friends had yet to talk to each other since they had gone their separate ways at the party. She took her time however, emptying the box as she decided what to tell her friend. She wanted to tell Nicky everything about kissing Piper on the balcony to their brief make out session last night on the street. However, another part of her didn't want to tell Nicky any of it. She knew that the bushy blonde would just tease her merciless about her crush on Piper.

Plus, she didn't feel like sharing just yet about this new relationship she was about to embark on with Piper...whatever it was. The brunette still wasn't sure what her and Piper were. They had both agreed that they wanted to be more than just friends and have a more _romantic_ relationship with one another.

Now, usually that would mean for her sex and lots of it. And she was sure that there would be sex with Piper eventually, just not now. Piper she knew was new to this whole...girl on girl thing. She hadn't come out and exactly told her this but she figured from how skittish the blonde had been about the kiss and the whole running away thing...that yeah she was a newbie.

Alex usually tried to avoid being someone's "first". There was too much emotion and kid gloves needed for that. But again, her feelings for Piper where different then from any other attraction she had felt towards someone. She found herself willingly pushing aside all her old habits and adopting new ones in away.

Sex to Alex Vause was up there with food and water. It was a need of survival. A sectional thing in life. And usually her rule of thumb was if they didn't put out by the third date, they weren't worth her time and energy. And thou, her and Piper hadn't even gone out on a first date yet, she knew deep down that rule would be stretched and probably broken. She would go as slow as Piper wanted or _needed_ her to go for her. Something she had never done for another girl before.

"Nothing happened," she replied as casually as possible as she glanced over her shoulder at Nicky.

Nicky just rolled her eyes at Alex. She knew what she had just said was complete and utter bullshit. There was no way that _nothing_ had happened the other night! She had seen the looks that Alex and Piper had given each other on the subway ride over to the party. She had seen all their little looks through out last week. She knew that they both liked each other.

"Plus, weren't you stoned like half the night?" Alex knew it was a low blow to her friend but she really wanted Nicky to stop drilling her on Piper. Especially when Red could interrupt them at any moment.

Nicky pretended to be hurt by Alex's question. It was no secret that she was a junkie. Alex had been one too when she first met her too. But the brunette claimed to be too good for that now or whatever. Nicky wasn't really bothered if Alex smoked weed or did any other drugs for that matter. It wasn't like she was an addict or anything...well at least not anymore. A few years ago she had been deep in shit and such but she was clean now.

The two friends were quiet for a moment or two as Alex finished unpacking the box before beginning to break it down. As she did, she looked over at Nicky who was grinning back at her. She couldn't help, but smile back at this. She was glad there was no harsh feelings between them. Nicky was her best friend and she would hate to lose her.

As Alex flattened the box, Nicky began to tell her what had happened last night between Big Boo and Mercy. There was always drama between those two, thought Alex as she continued to listen to Nicky's story on how the two Exs had fought.

As Nicky told the story, neither of them noticed the blonde come into the bar.

Piper's heart was racing as she walked into the room and heard the booming laugh of Nicky. Her blue eyes immediatly looked up from where she was texting Polly on her phone to the two women at the bar.

The two of them hadn't noticed her just yet as she stood there. She was extremely nervous to be at work today. Not about the job, but about working with Alex. Especially after everything that had happened last night between them. After clearing up their miss communication of sorts they had decided that they wanted to be together or at least try to.

As she stood there frozen to the spot, debating how to approach the two women, faith decided on it's own.

Piper was slowly let out a deep breath and put her phone back into her bag when some bumped her from behind.

" _Watch_ it! College!"

Piper winced slightly as she rubbed her shoulder and caught Tricia's eye as she passed her. She glared at her from behind as she made her way to the bar and took a seat beside Nicky.

She still didn't know what this younger girl's problem was with her. Whatever it was, it had only gotten worse after finding out that Piper had gone to Smith. Her new nickname was "college" now. She was apparently the only person at the bar who had gone to college. That had surprised her, she for sure had thought that Alex had done some post- secondary education. She just seemed so well read to her. Alex had just laughed in her face when she had asked her.

The brunette's exact words to her had been- "Would I be fucking bartending if I had gone to some fancy university?"

That had slightly raffled the blonde. She had gone to some fancy university and here she was working at a bar waitressing. But she hadn't tried to let it bother her too much, Alex hadn't meant as a direct dig to her.

Both Alex and Nicky turned to see Tricia look smugly at the blonde before heading towards them.

Alex frowned slightly as the younger woman approached. She had never gotten along with Tricia. She only worked at the bar because of Nicky. Nicky had taken the nineteen year old underneath her wing after meeting her at one of her meetings. Nicky was a recovering Heroin addict. And Tricia had been in need of a job when she had met her. So she had brought her to Mama Red. In a similar fashion she had done with Alex, four years ago.

Red had been hesitate though on hiring a underage girl to work at the bar, not only was it kinda against the law but Red also hadn't wanted any trouble with the young girl. However, Tricia had informed her that she was clean and was a hard worker. The girl, though despite what she had promised had been here for only five months and had already caused trouble amongst the staff. For one she had started to go out with Mercy which every one else knew was a no-no. Especially considering Mercy had been Mrs. Big Boo just two month prier to Tricia's arrival.

And Alex and her didn't see eye to eye on matters either so much.

But Nicky liked the kid. She treated her like a little sister, watching out for her and taking her word on most matters. Nicky saw a younger version of herself in Tricia. The kid had no home and was trying to get a fresh start. Nicky had been just as messed up as Tricia had been at that age before she had met Red and helped/forced her to get clean.

For that, Nicky would always be in debt towards the Russian woman. She had given her a roof over her head and a job while struggling to get clean. Red was hard a times but she was a softy deep down. She loved each of the girls at the bar for different reasons. But if you crossed one of her lines, she had no problem throwing you back onto the street. She gave each of them two strikes.

Not three but two. Russian don't play baseball.

"What's up?" asked Tricia as she nodded her head in acknowledgment to the two of as she took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Nothing much!" stated Nicky as she placed her elbows onto the surface of the bar and rested her chin on her hands, striking some sort of pose.

Alex didn't say anything to Tricia as she looked across the room, to where Piper was standing still, rubbing her shoulder. It looked like the blonde didn't like Tricia either, very much by the way she was glaring into the younger's woman backside. The brunette debated on what to do, a part of her wanted to go over to Piper but she knew if she did that would draw Nicky's attention and she didn't want Nicky to point of what was going on between her and Piper...at least not with Tricia there.

Alex pretended to be busy herself by rearranging the bottle of liquor behind her as Piper approached the bar.

"Chapman!" cried out Nicky in greeting towards the blonde.

Alex didn't have to look at her friend's face to know that it had its normal smug look painted upon it. She knew that Nicky would be all over Piper for details which Alex hadn't given her on the other night.

"Hi, Nicky," spoke Piper towards Nicky. She tried to keep her eyes on the shorter woman but she kept on shooting glances at Alex, who had her back to her.

"So how did you enjoy the party the other night?" asked Nicky slyly towards the blonde.

"The party! It was good...I had fun..." spoke Piper as she tried to keep her voice as calm as possible. She didn't want to draw un-necessary attention to herself but she was struggling to keep cool and casual and pretend that nothing was going on between her and Alex. Alex had warned her that Nicky would make it difficult for her and would try to pry information from her but not to let her to do so. They needed to act like nothing had happened between them. Especially in front of Red. The Russian might be tolerate towards Tricia and Mercy's relationship but that didn't mean she would be for them.

"Oh I'm sure you had fun..." Nicky wagged her eyebrows suggestively towards the blonde.

Piper could feel her cheeks flushing slightly at what the other woman was applying, but tried to keep her face blank. "I don't know what you mean by that," she stated casually as she looked briefly away from Nicky and towards Alex, who was busy wiping down the bar. "I got a little drunk yes...but if I remember correctly you were a little worse off than I was..."

"OHHHH! Touché Chapman!" cried out Nicky as her eyes gleamed with amusement at what the blonde had just said. It seemed like her and Alex had some how coordinated their answers together or something. That was twice she had gotten dig at for being high at the party.

Alex let out a little chuckle at hearing this. Piper had listened to her well about how to shut Nicky up.

Piper looked over at Alex at hearing her laugh and caught the brunette's eye. The two women couldn't help but stare at each other for a moment. Everything they had planned last night was gone out the window it seemed. It was obvious that they liked each other as they continued to make googly eyes for a moment longer, forgetting they had an audience.

However, before anyone could point out the sexual tension between the two women, Red came from the back. Everyone immediatly turned their attention onto the older woman.

Red stroked her jaw as she squinted her eyes between Tricia and Piper. A frown immediatly formed on her face, "You're not suppose to be here."

Both Piper and Tricia were confused on who Red was talking about. Who wasn't suppose to be here? The two of them exchanged a look with one another before looking back at Red.

"Which one of us?" asked Piper. Her heart started to hammer as a feeling of panic twisted in the pit of her stomach. She had been sure that Red had told her that her next shift was on Tuesday, today. She was working the early shift and she remembered clearly being surprised that she didn't have to close when she saw the weekly schedule.

Red's hazel eyes pierced into Piper's and for a second Piper was for sure she was talking about her, however the Russian casted her eyes over to Tricia and simply pointed at the young girl.

"You!" stated the Red in her thick accent, "You're to come back later on tonight at eight."

It was currently three in the afternoon. The bar usually opened at four for the early dinner and happy hour crowd.

"What the...?" stated Tricia in disbelief. "I can't come back! I got plans with my girl, Mer...My girl tonight!" She had almost let it slip that she was dating Mercy. It wasn't uncommon knowledge that the two of them were going out but you still didn't mention that to Red. She couldn't afford to get a strike against her, she needed this job. "Make college come back...She the new one here. I got like seniority and shit!"

The older woman face was ice cold as she continued to stare at Tricia for a moment. The room had gone completely silent as everyone waited on pins and needles on what Red was going to say.

"The only one who has seniority here, is me!" she stated coldly, "You come back at eight!"

Red glared at Tricia for a second longer before heading back to her office. As she left she mumbled something under her breath in Russian.

"Well, I guess I'll go then..."stated Tricia as she looked around at the others before staring at Piper in coldness. Like it was her fault or something that Red had given her Tricia's usual shift and was making her come back later.

"See ya later I guess," the nineteen year old then jumped off her stool and headed out the front door.

Piper waited until she heard the thud of the door closing before throwing her bag onto the bar and taking a seat on the stool that Tricia had just been seated on.

"Ughh!" murmured Piper in frustration, "I don't know what the fuck I did to her to make her hate me! I've only been nice to her!"

"Don't take it personally, Chapman," stated Nicky, "Tricia just feels threatened by you..."

"Threatened!?"

"Yeah, she's been the new one for a few months now and then you're coming here with your college degree and shit! She's just jealous that's all. She's never really had a family and or a couple of dollars to her name."

"My college degree doesn't mean shit here. Plus, you come from money and she's nice to you!" Alex had been the one to tell Piper on how Nicky had been born on the Upper East Side and came from an affluent background.

Nicky studied Piper for a moment before glancing over at Alex, "And who told you that...your girlfriend over here?"

Piper cheeks flushed as she too glanced over at Alex. She hadn't meant to fib on Alex for telling her about Nicky's past. She hadn't given too much away. She was just curious to know how the two of them had met. The two had bonded over their absent parents growing up, Nicky with her mom and Alex about her dad.

"Alex didn't meant any harm, Nicky," explained Piper brutally trying to fix the damage already done. She had never seen Nicky like this before. She had only ever seen the other woman with a smug look on her face. "I just was curious on how you guys met and assumed you knew each other from school or something...Don't blame her."

Both Nicky and Alex had their eyes burning into the blonde. Alex hadn't exactly told Piper not to tell Nicky about what she had said about her upbringing. But at the same time, she hadn't been expecting Piper to spill that she knew about Nicky's past. Nicky didn't exactly go around bragging she had grown up in a Penthouse on the Upper East Side, where she had been raised by a nanny instead of her mother.

Piper found herself drenched in a nervous sweat as her eyes looked between Nicky and Alex. She hated how she sometimes spoke without thinking it fully through. She had just been so pissed off at Tricia and her attitude towards her.

"Look, it's fine Chapman. You're right I did come from money but my mother cut off my inheritance the same time that she kicked me out when I was seventeen. All the money to my name now has been earned by my own hard work." Nicky's voice was firm as she explained all this to Piper. Sure she had come from a privileged upbringing as some would see it, attending the best schools that money could buy and such. But Nicky saw her childhood as anything but that. She had barely known or seen her mother. Her father had died when she was a baby and her mother had been too busy fucking Paolo, her Brazilian boyfriend to give a crap about her. Nicky had been raised by a nanny, who she had thought was her real mother until the age of eight. And once Nicky got to the age where she was smart enough to realize her actual mother was a cow and didn't give a fuck about her own daughter, she started to rebel and get into a lot of shit, like heroine.

Piper suddenly felt guilty and she wasn't sure exactly why that was. Maybe because, no matter how much she hated her own mother for her judgmental, WASPy ways, Carol Chapman had always been there for her. Her mother might not approve of her life choices but if Piper ever got herself in trouble and needed help, her parents would be there in a heartbeat, no questions asked. Well, with a lot of questions asked but they would still be there for her.

"I'm sorry, Nicky," her voice was genuine. She really did feel bad for offending her in some way.

Nicky held Piper gaze for a moment before her face broke out into a smirk, "No hard feelings Chapman."

Piper couldn't help but smile back at this. She was relieved to hear that Nicky wasn't mad at her.

"So really...what the fuck went down between the two of you?" Nicky wagged her eyebrows playfully as her eyes filled with mischief as she looked between the two women. She was done with talking about her upbringing on the Upper East Side and was going to try to use this moment to find out what was going on between Alex and Piper. They at least owed her that, she thought.

* * *

"So what are you doing tonight?" asked Alex casually in a low voice towards Piper. She was in the middle of making a Long Island Ice Tea for a customer while the blonde waited for her order to come up from the kitchen window. Her eyes looked briefly around the room before falling onto Piper.

Piper looked up from where she was staring at her hands to the brunette. Her forehead was wrinkled slightly in confusion at what Alex meant by this question. "What do you mean what am I doing tonight...I'm working here..."

Alex was silent for a moment as she finished making the drink before placing it down onto Piper's tray. "What are you doing afterwards?" Her voice was low but there was a hint of seduction in her tone as her green eyes pierced into Piper. She was trying to ask her out but the blonde didn't seem to be picking up on the hint.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before looking away. Red had just passed by them and they didn't want to drawn attention to themselves. It was now about six at night and the bar was filled with noise. It was crowded with a mixture of business men and students doing summer courses at NYU.

Alex and Piper watched the Russian like a hawk before shifting their attention back onto themselves. Alex raised her eyebrows as if silently communicating with the blonde. She still hadn't answered her on what she was doing after she got off at eight.

"I dunno," whispered Piper as she hopped off her stool and carefully reached for her tray, being extremely careful not to spill the drink that rested on it. "Probably just go home and paint or something..."

Alex couldn't help but frown at this. She would surely had thought that Piper would get the hint that she was trying to ask her out for tonight. "Welll...I get off at the same time as you do..." her voice once again trailed off as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Piper.

"Oh!" Piper's eyes widened as realization set in. She now understood why Alex was asking what she was doing after work. A small smile then tugged on the blonde's features as excitement bubbled in her stomach.

"Yeah, I thought maybe we could do something," Alex spoke slowly as her eyes pierced deeply into Piper's. " _together_..."

Piper grin deepened at hearing this. Alex was asking her out...on a real date. She could almost squeal with joy but knew that she couldn't for that would surely draw attention to her and Alex. That was the last thing that they wanted to happen. Especially, so early on in whatever this was between them.

"Okay," whispered Piper.

A small grin appeared on Alex's face at hearing this. "Okay," she whispered back.

The two women stayed like this for a moment longer, before being interrupted by the sound of the bell going off.

"ORDER UP!" cried Miss Claudette from the service window.

"SHIT!" swore Piper as she tore her eyes away from Alex and over to the window, where a not too pleased looking Miss Claudette was sticking her head out and glaring at the blonde.

"Well, come on child. I don't got all day!" spoke the older woman in her thick accent towards the blonde.

"Coming!" cried back Piper as she quickly rushed over, being careful at the same time not to spill the Long Island Ice Tea which rattled slightly on the tray.

* * *

Alex was just finishing her cigarette when Piper emerged from the bar and walked over towards her. She was only a few feet away from the entrance.

"Hey," whispered Piper breezily as she tugged a stray hair behind her ear and smiled at the brunette.

"Hey," replied back Alex as she flicked the cigarette down onto the cement sidewalk and stepped on the end of it with the toe of her motorcycle boot. Her eyes gleamed with lust as she studied the blonde's face before allowing them to fall down her body. Piper was still in her work uniform of red t-shirt and the black cargo mini skirt that all waitressing staff were required to wear. Even know, She had seen the blonde in that outfit a few times now, she could help but admire how good it looked on her. The skirt hit Piper mid-thigh, showcasing her toned long legs. Just by looking at her legs, she could tell she must be some sort of runner or did yoga or something to keep them in that physical shape.

"So what do you want to do?" asked Piper as she drew Alex out of her thoughts and made her eyes focus on her face, once again.

"I was kinda leaving that up to you, kid," responded Alex, with a smirk and it was the truth. When she had decided to plan some sort of date with the blonde tonight, she hadn't really had anything in mind. She wanted to _woo_ her but also again was trying to take it very slowly with her. Her normal "wooing" would consist of some big dinner at some fancy restaurant, which was way over priced and lots and lots of booze. Alex Vause like to impress her dates. However, it was late already and her normal places to go on dates would be completely booked up.

"Me!?" Piper's voice rose a note or two as she looked at Alex in surprise. "Aren't _you_ suppose to sweep me off my feet and shit? I was expecting to be wooed, Ms. Vause!"

Alex cocked an eyebrow as she stared back at Piper in surprise before the smirk once again returned to her face. She was messing with her, she thought as she continued to look at the blonde in awe. That was usually her thing,

"I must say I'm a little disappointed..." Piper was trying to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up into a smile but was failing to do so. She didn't exactly know where her sudden confidence had come from to be flirting so openly with Alex like this. Sure she had flirted before but Alex had always been the one to initiate the flirting. But here she was, little Piper Chapman, flirting up a storm like some sexy minx or something...

Alex fought the deep urge she was overcome with to reach out and kiss Piper at that very moment. It wasn't that she was shy about public displays of affection, just the opposite. It was just that they were still in front of the bar and Red could come out any moment and catch them. Plus, she could tell that Pornstache was watching them from his position at the entrance of the bar. That guy was a sicko, she thought bitterly to herself as she glance up passed Piper and caught his eye.

Pornstache was indeed watching them. He wagged his eyebrow suggestively at Alex at the same time at he licked his lips before smirking.

Alex glared back in disgust at Pornstache and his dirty mind before raising her hand and giving him the finger.

This was not the first time that Pornstache was lurking at any of the staff at Coyote. The man was known to be a douche bag and he wasn't really shamed about it. He took pride that he was the only male on staff. And even know most of the staff was gay at the bar, that didn't stop him from trying to get into their pants.

The bouncer just merely chuckled at Alex's finger gestures before stroking his mustache that he took great pride in.

Alex just shook her head before returning her attention back on to Piper, who was looking at her in confusion.

"Pornstache," she whispered, reading Piper's mind.

"Oh," murmured the blonde as she glanced over her shoulder to look at the bouncer. She had forgotten that he was there.

"Come on let's get out of here..." Alex then grabbled Piper suddenly by the wrist and began to pull her down the street. Far away from Pornstache and his perverted thoughts.

Alex waited until they were at the end of the street before letting go of Piper's wrist. But instead pulling her hand completely away from the blonde, she slid it down her slim wrist before lacing her fingers with hers.

The brunette glanced over at the blonde, making sure this was alright for her, holding hands like this.

Piper was a little taken back by this but smiled up at Alex in reassurance that it was okay. She never would have thought that Alex was the hold your hand type but here she was, doing just that. Piper's heart began to hammer with excitement as Alex squeeze her hand, sending a tingling feeling down her spine.

Alex returned the smile before beginning to turn the corner and began to lead Piper down another street. She suddenly had an idea in mind on how to _woo_ the blonde.

"Where are we headed too?" asked Piper out of curiosity.

"My place," whispered Alex as she looked at Piper through the corner of her eye and smirked.


	9. Chapter 9

It turned out that Alex only lived a few blocks away from Coyote in East Village on St. Marks Place. She lived in a two-bedroom apartment with some girl named Leanne who, as she told Piper, she didn't see much.

"It isn't much," stated Alex as she closed the apartment door behind her.

Piper couldn't help but be impressed by the space. It was much bigger than her tiny one-bedroom apartment which seemed so cramped and over flowing, especially since her studio space was almost overcrowding her living space and kitchen area, now.

"I think it's great," commented Piper as she peered into the separate kitchen area, which was just off of the entrance.

"If you say so, kid," responded Alex with amusement as she hung her keys on a little hook on the wall.

"How long have you lived here?" asked Piper with curiosity, as she slipped off her white Vans and placed them by one by one on the mat by the door.

"Not too long," replied Alex as she kicked off her own boots and padded into the main living space of the apartment. "About two months or so."

"Where were you living before?" Piper was fascinated to hear about all the different neighbourhoods that people lived in. For example, she knew that Nicky lived in Queens with her girlfriend Lorna.

"I was living with Nicky and Big Boo in Harlem, actually," explained Alex as she looked over at Piper who was hovering still by the door. "But, of course, Nicky moved in with Lorna, and Big Boo and I decided it was time for us to leave too. We had lived there for three years prior already."

"Wow!" murmured Piper in astonishment. She had known they'd all worked with each other for years, but she hadn't known that they had lived together too.

"Yeah. I would've gotten another place with Big Boo somewhere, but then I saw that someone was looking for a roommate here and decided to take it. The rent is a little more than what I paid previously, but I've always wanted to live in this neighbourhood," Alex answered with a shrug. She didn't usually share all her past information, especially on a first date, but she found herself opening up more and more to Piper.

Piper nodded her head nervously as she slowly made her way further into the main living space of the apartment. She didn't know exactly what they were doing here at Alex's apartment still. Alex had mentioned about ordering pizza or something, but she hadn't been paying too much attention to be honest. All the blonde had been able to think about while on the way here was that Alex was holding her hand. She blushed slightly as she remembered how warm and soft Alex's hand had felt against her own.

The room filled with an awkward silence for a second as the two women looked at each other.

"You don't mind if I go change...do ya?" asked Alex, gesturing to a door just off to the side with her thumb.

"No," murmured Piper, casting her eyes to where Alex was pointing. It was the first time she was realizing there was a door there. There were two, on either side of a wall which had a TV unit pressed against it.

"I'll be quick, and then I'll order that pizza I promised you," she smiled at Piper before making her way towards her bedroom.

Piper just nodded her head in response to this before watching Alex walk away and into the room she assumed was the brunette's bedroom. Nerves twisted in her stomach as she stood there awkwardly in the middle of the living room. Her eyes scanned around the apartment, but there wasn't much to look at... The walls were painted an off-white colour, and there were no photographs or paintings on the wall, except for a cross she noted on the far wall. She stared at it for a moment before down casting her eyes onto the large brown leather couch in the middle of the room, facing the TV unit. A large thrift-store-looking rug sat in the middle of the floor. The blonde couldn't help but think how much it reminded her of a dorm room or something. There was no décor or personal touches anywhere. She figured that Alex kept all her personal belongings in her bedroom.

A few moments passed before Alex emerged from her bedroom. She had changed out of her work uniform and into a white wife-beater and a pair of faded blue jeans. The brunette smiled when she noted that Piper hadn't moved from her spot.

"You know you can sit and make yourself at home. You don't have to wait for an invitation..." Alex teased with a raised eyebrow.

Piper blushed slightly as her eyes suddenly travelled to watch her feet. She didn't say anything in response. She hadn't taken a seat because she was still trying to figure out her bearings and reconcile with the fact that she was here at Alex's apartment.

"Feel free to watch something on the TV," Alex continued to explain as she walked past Piper and back into the kitchen.

Piper looked briefly over her shoulder as Alex passed her before forcing herself to take a seat on the couch. She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew that nothing was going to happen...at least not tonight, but she still couldn't shake her nerves. She buried her face in her hands before Alex came back into the room. She immediately lifted her head up and looked over at Alex. The brunette smiled as she came around the couch and took a seat beside Piper, handing her a cold can of beer.

"Thanks," Piper murmured as she took the can from Alex's outstretched hand.

"No problem, kid," replied Alex as she looked at Piper through the corner of her eye.

Piper didn't know where this nickname "kid" had come from, but unlike Tricia's nicknames for her, she didn't mind this one. Alex could call her whatever she wanted to, thought Piper as she watched as Alex opened her can and took a sip from it. Yeah, she was a goner, she thought. She had only known Alex for a week and could feel herself falling hard for her already. She couldn't remember feeling anything like this before for someone. Sure, she'd had crushes and felt strong attractions before...but this was different. She couldn't quite place why. It just was. She didn't think it was because Alex was her first ever real "girl crush." Attraction was attraction when it came right down to it, she thought. It didn't really matter who it was with, a boy...a girl...

Love was love.

Piper blushed underneath Alex's gaze, but the blonde tried committing herself to not withering away. The more time she was around the brunette, the more comfortable she was getting; she didn't want to fuck things up now by acting like a stupid wallflower. She was still as bashful as ever, but she could at least now make eye contact without tearing her eyes away immediately in embarrassment.

"So..." she whispered as she cradled the cold can of beer in her hand and continued to look at Alex.

"So what?" asked Alex with a smirk playing on her lips.

"Well...when's the wooing supposed to happen?" Piper once again was finding her confidence as she placed the unopened can down onto the coffee table in front of her and turned to look at Alex better.

"Wooing?" Alex cocked an eyebrow and continued to look at Piper in awe.

"Yeah.. Or is _this_ it?" Piper gestured with her hands to around the room. "Pizza and beer? Is that your big move?!"

Alex couldn't help but be a little taken aback by what the blonde seemed to be implying? She couldn't tell if Piper was joking or not. Yes, it was a little lame to have pizza and beer as their first date, but it had been kinda last-minute, and she'd thought it would have been better than nothing. Her mouth hung open slightly as her eyes continued to search the blonde's face, trying to figure out where Piper's head was at.

The two women stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time before Piper's deadpan face broke out in a manic-looking grin.

"Pizza and beer is a great choice!" spoke Piper in a high voice. Her nerves had once again returned to torture her as her heart began to race. She was suddenly afraid that she'd insulted Alex just now with her stupid-ass attempt at witty sarcasm. "I love beer!" she added with marked enthusiasm as she reached for the unopened can and quickly pulled up the metal tab. Then without thinking about what she was doing, she brought the can up to her lips and quickly chugged it all down. Her movements were far from lady-like as some beer dribbled down her chin and neck, but she was too anxious to care about proper manners at the moment.

She drained the beer in short order before slamming the empty can onto the coffee table and suppressed a nervous burp.

"I love beer..." she started once again this time in a low whisper. She didn't know why she'd just done that... It had felt like a good idea at the time, but now she just felt like an fucking idiot about it. She could feel the warmth of her cheeks, which she embarrassingly realized wasn't just from the alcohol suddenly coursing through her system.

Alex sat there clenching her own can of beer, staring in amusement at the blonde. That had been the last thing she expected Piper to do. Even so, she couldn't help but admit she was a little turned on... Okay, she was extremely turned on. Alex slowly licked her lips as she placed the can down onto the coffee table beside Piper's empty one.

"I love beer too," she whispered slowly as she pushed her glasses on top of her head and stared deeply into blue eyes. "But I bet I would love it even better on your lips," her voice caressed each word carefully as she slid her body closer to Piper's. If Piper wanted big moves from her, well, she was going to get them, thought Alex wickedly to herself.

Piper sat there frozen, watching as Alex's face came closer and closer to her own. But as she felt the soft wetness of Alex's lips press against her own, she closed her eyes and subconsciously decided to let go, immediately kissing Alex back, bringing her hands to rest on broad shoulders. It didn't take long for the kiss to deepen as their lips parted and their tongues coiled around each other. Alex's hand moved to the back of Piper's head, grasping at the blonde's ponytail while her other cupped her cheek.

They were supposed to be going slow with their relationship, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. Piper could feel herself getting wet as her tongue continued to explore the warm depths of Alex's mouth. She tasted so good, she thought. Her toes curled and pleasure built slowly in the pit of her stomach as she let herself go. All her nerves about kissing Alex the right way had flown out the door by this point. She didn't fucking care if she kissed her well or not, she just knew she fucking wanted it so bad, her nerves buzzed. Kissing Alex was intoxicating. It was like taking her first real drink, leaving her slightly buzzed and confused but making her want so much more of it.

She moved her body so that she was now straddling Alex's lap, pushing her tongue further into her mouth. She ran her hands through the brunette's long hair before slipping her fingers down the softness of her bare arms. She wanted to run her hands all over her body, feeling every bone and muscles of this beautiful woman. Her desire for Alex ran deep within her by this point and was only getting stronger.

Alex could sense where this was going as their mouths continued to assault one another with more and more hunger. Her old self would have let nature take its course and allow this to progress to a more intimate level. But knowing what she knew about Piper and her sexual history, she didn't want it to go that far...not yet that was. It was still only their first date, and she knew that Piper wanted her to "woo" her. But there was other ways to woo her than just getting into her panties, she thought. It was a hard thing for her to do though.

Every nerve within her was alive and alert as her hands slid briefly up Piper's shirt, feeling the edge of her bra. She was so close, she thought as her fingers hovered over the clasp of it. She could so easily take advantage of this situation, but she knew deep down she wasn't going to. She bit Piper's bottom lip roughly before sliding her hands from underneath the shirt and rested them on the blonde's hip.

Alex found herself counting to ten in her head before finding the urge to pull away.

Piper rested her forehead against hers at this and smiled lazily. Her blue eyes, Alex noted, were darkened with lust. The blonde had clearly enjoyed the kiss just as much as she had.

Alex returned the smile before putting her glasses back on. Piper's image came back into focus as she stared up at her. God, what kind of control did the little blonde have over her? she wondered to herself as she continued to study Piper's face for a moment.

"How about I order that pizza now?" her words came out in a breathy whisper.

Piper nodded her head slowly at this. "O.K."

Alex pressed her mouth to Piper's quickly before she climbed completely off of her.

As she reached for her cell phone in the front pocket of her jeans, she slipped her arm around Piper's waist. Just because she didn't want to rush things with her didn't mean she couldn't enjoy her body heat against her own.

Piper couldn't help but smile as she leaned into Alex's long body. This feels so natural, she thought to herself as she rested her head on the brunette's shoulder and listened idly as Alex made the call.

* * *

It was about an hour later into the night.

The two women had moved their date from the confines of Alex's apartment to the roof of the building. Alex's roommate had returned home early from her job and hadn't wanted to be disturbed, so Alex had lead Piper to the roof.

"Cheers."

"Cheers," Piper smiled deeply as she clinked her beer can against Alex's. The blonde had to admit that this wasn't the fanciest date she had ever been on, but it was certainly one of the best. She and Alex were seated on a flannel blanket having a midnight picnic of sorts. The pizza box lay between them, untouched. There were only a few pieces left but neither was motivated to finish them.

A comforting silence fell over them as they drank their beers and looked up at the clear night sky. They couldn't see any stars, but that was okay. They had the lights of the city to memorize instead.

"So tell me about yourself," Alex lay down on her side and looked over towards Piper.

Piper giggled drunkenly at this. "Tell you what?" she asked as she smiled at Alex. "You already know me!"

"I don't know everything," replied Alex as she propped her head up with her hand. "Tell me something about you that I don't know, kid."

Piper took a sip from her can, thinking about what she could tell Alex.

"Okay, I got it," she whispered as she put the can down and rested it on the cement roof, turning to face Alex better. She couldn't help but feel like there was too much distance between them as she remembered to their closeness on the couch. She suddenly felt cold as she thought back to the warmth of Alex's body pressed up against her.

She gave Alex a little smile as she felt Alex's eyes on her.

"My favourite colour is blue."

Alex couldn't help but snort with laughter at this. When she had asked Piper to tell her about herself, she had meant like about her family or something.

"What?" asked Piper as she reached for her beer again. "You asked me to tell you something you didn't know...I'm pretty sure I hadn't told you yet what my favourite colour was."

"Not that I recall," responded Alex with amusement.

"So what about you?" asked Piper as she cradled the can in her hands.

"What about me?" asked Alex as she slowly moved back into a seating position on the blanket.

"What's your favourite colour?"

Alex loved how playful Piper was being with her at this moment. She didn't know if it was the three beers that the blonde had consumed already that night in a course of two hours or not, but she didn't care.

"Black," she responded easily.

"Black's not a colour," stated Piper, shaking her head at Alex. "It's a shade."

Alex crossed her legs and looked on at the blonde in puzzlement. "It's a what?"

"It's a shade," repeated Piper again, "It's basic colour theory knowledge. Black is not a proper colour. It's a shade...used to darken a colour. Just like white is not a colour either. It is used to make a colour lighter."

Alex just continued to stare at Piper for a second before a smirk spread across her face. "Well, sorrryy...Miss Artist!" She held up her hands in the air as if she was surrounding to Piper.

Piper just rolled her eyes at Alex at this. "Just saying..." she murmured, pretending to be annoyed by Alex's remark. Her eyes scanned over the rooftop and out onto the city landscape for a moment before drifted back onto the brunette.

Alex chugged the remainder of her beer before moving closer to Piper on the blanket. She smiled as she caught her eye and placed a hand on top of her knee. Her eyes continued to pierce into the blonde from over top of her glasses as she inched her face closer to hers.

The two women held each other's gazes for a moment before their lips met in a tender kiss.

"Come here," whispered Alex in between kisses as her hand slid up Piper's leg and to her hip, pulling her towards her.

* * *

It was just past midnight as Alex walked Piper home.

The two of them held hands as they walked in silence out of Alex's apartment building and onto the street. The air was warm that night as they made the journey to Piper's place.

Piper found herself biting the inside of her cheek, trying to stop herself from smiling like an idiot. She couldn't believe how happy she was at this moment. A warmth of joy filled her belly as Alex squeezed her hand as they crossed the street. She couldn't get over how natural this all felt, being with Alex. This was only their first date, but it felt like they had been going out forever. Sure, there had been some awkward moments at the beginning, but there was also a comfort about all of it. Something she had never really experienced before with anyone at the beginning of a relationship.

Even with Larry she hadn't felt what she was feeling now with Alex so soon in their relationship.

"I had fun tonight," whispered Piper as she looked up at Alex as they came to a stop outside her door.

"I had fun tonight too, kid," replied Alex as she adjusted her glasses on her nose and smiled at the blonde. Tonight had not been her best first date she'd ever planned, but it had gone over well despite that.

Piper held Alex's gaze before glancing over towards the door of her place and back. She was suddenly nervous for some reason. She and Alex had already kissed multiple times during the night, but she wondered if she would kiss her again. She knew it was stupid to worry about but it was on her mind.

"Can I call you?" asked Alex after a moment of silence had passed between them. She knew it was lame to ask, especially since she would be seeing Piper tomorrow night at work. But she just wanted to make sure it would be okay.

"Sure," whispered Piper in amusement as she locked eyes with the taller woman. "You don't have to ask though."

"I know," replied Alex, suddenly feeling stupid for asking. She didn't know why she questioned all her usual motives and such around the blonde. She usually never asked permission to call someone, she just usually did it. But like everything else around Piper, she acted completely different from her usual cocky self. "I just want to make sure."

Piper grinned at hearing this. She loved how Alex was asking to call her so she could be sure it was okay. She found it extremely cute that Alex was being so reassuring with her.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight..." spoke Alex as she let go of Piper's hand and stared deeply into her eyes. She didn't want the night to end but knew if it did continue, she might not be able to control herself.

"I guess so..." whispered back Piper as she shyly looked up at Alex. Her blue eyes shifted from Alex's green eyes, down to her lips. God, she wanted to kiss her so badly again, thought the blonde.

"Good night," murmured Alex as a glint of something appeared in her eyes, taking a small step closer to the blonde.

"Good night," replied Piper in a breathy whisper as she watched as Alex's face came closer and closer to hers before capturing her lips into a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Piper was fast asleep as her phone vibrated loudly on the nightstand. The blonde murmured something before turning onto her side and going back to sleep. A few moments passed before the phone vibrated loudly again.

She once again murmured something before opening her eyes and reaching for her phone. She didn't know who would be texting her so early in the morning. Polly, she knew would be heading to work at this moment, and surely wouldn't be texting her now.

A wide grin spread across the blonde's face as she looked on at the display of the phone as she held it over her face.

 **Alex-** Good Morning!

She knew, she'd told Alex that she could call her, but she didn't think she would call her so soon. She continued to smile like an idiot as she looked at the text. She immediatly swiped the screen of the phone and typed in her pass code before replying to the text.

 **Piper-** Good Morning! :)

Piper slowly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes as she waited for Alex to text her back. It was the next morning after their date. It had taken the blonde a good hour or so to settle down from the jumble of excitement and joy she'd been feeling from that night to fall asleep. She'd been unable to paint either. Which was rare for her. She was always able to paint. But she'd been too wired up. Her couldn't shut off from these strong feelings, she'd been feeling due to this woman.

 **Alex-** I hope I didn't wake you.

Even though there was no one around her, she could feel her cheeks flushing. Even through text, Alex had the power to make her blush. She smirked as she thought about something witty to write back.

 **Piper-** You did. But that's okay. You can wake me up anytime. ;P

It was a lot easier to flirt through text she found. Especially with Alex. She could flirt and such in person, but she could be a lot more risky when she couldn't see Alex's face.

 **Alex-** I hold you to that!

Piper smirked as she read Alex's reply. She knew they'd only had one date and hadn't known each other for that long previously, but with working along each other the past week, it seemed so much longer. And she knew it wouldn't be that long until she was waking up beside Alex. Sure, she was a little afraid, but in the end, she didn't really know what she was so afraid of. She had slept with plenty of people before...well not plenty, but there were a few.

 **Piper-** So why are you up so early? I thought you didn't get up until much later...

Alex had told Piper that she wasn't really a morning person and didn't usually get up until at least ten or so. It was currently only a few minutes passed eight.

 **Alex-** I thought maybe I could take you out for breakfast? To make up for my lack of "wooing" last night! ;-)

Piper once again found herself blushing. Not because Alex had just asked her out for a second time but for her little failed attempt at sarcasm last night. That was probably one of the most embarrassing things she had done on a date to impress someone. She still couldn't believe she had downed the whole can of beer in front of Alex like that. She couldn't help, but cringe in embarrassment as she thought back to it, now. God, she was an idiot.

 **Piper-** I could go for breakfast.

The blonde didn't want to appear to eager to the brunette. She still wanted to keep up that chase...just a little while longer, she thought.

A few moments passed before Alex wrote back telling her where to meet her.

* * *

"Hey," greeted Piper warmly as she came up behind Alex and tapped her on the shoulder.

The tall brunette immediatly turned around and grinned as she locked eyes on Piper, "Hey."

"Sorry I'm late," apologized Piper, tucking a stray blonde hair behind her ear. "I kinda got lost on the subway...took the A line instead of the C."

"It's okay," replied Alex as she tilted her head down towards the blonde. God, how she'd missed her as she stared intensely into those blue eyes. It had been less then 24 hours since, they'd last seen each other, but she couldn't help, but feel like it was forever ago. This kinda scared her, as well as excited her. She'd felt attraction and desire before, but nothing as strong as she was feeling now for the blonde.

They held each other gaze for a second before sharing a tender kiss.

"Hi."

"Hi."

They both stated as they once again shared a long look and grinned at each other. They hadn't even made it inside of the restaurant yet and they already were practically tearing each other clothes off with their eyes.

"Come on kid," whispered Alex as she reached for Piper's hand and began to push open the door to the restaurant. "This place has the best waffles in town..."

"I love waffles," spoke Piper in response. Really? she thought. Where all her responses going to be on how much she loved a certain food or beverage item? She cursed at herself for continuing to be such an idiot around Alex.

The restaurant had turned out to be one of those 24 hours diners with the vinyl booths and black and white tile flooring. Alex didn't wait to be seated as she lead Piper to a booth at the back.

She had clearly had been here before, thought Piper as she slid into the seat opposite of Alex at the table and took one of the menus that rested open on the table. "So have you bee here before?" asked Piper as her eyes scanned over the menu briefly before looking up at Alex.

"Yeah!" chuckled Alex in reply. "A few times."

Piper nodded her head, waiting for Alex to continue. There seemed to be more of a story to what she had just said. The diner was obviously a very special place for the brunette as Piper watched as a secretive grin of sorts spread across her features.

"This was actually the first place I came to when I arrived in the city," offered Alex.

"Oh yea?"

"Yeah. It's only a few blocks away from the bus station. When I got off the bus from Jersey, it was early in the morning and I was starving. This was the only place open," continued to explain the brunette as she thought back to that first day she'd arrived in the city. It was like every typical story you heard, she only had hundred dollars on her and just the clothes on her back...However, Alex didn't have dreams of making it as a big star in the city. She'd just come to meet her dad and that was it. But like everything else in her life, he had turned out to be a big fat fucking disappointment. He was not the legion she had always imaged him to be as a kid.

"How long ago was that?" asked Piper interested to hear more about Alex's arrival to New York City.

"Um...almost eight years now. As soon as I graduated High school I was on that fucking bus..." Alex again couldn't help, but laugh as she thought about how determined she had been to leave her small home town. Her mom had been pissed when she told her, but she couldn't stop her. "I just turned eighteen the week before. My mom was fucking pissed!"

Piper grinned at the look playing out on Alex's face as she revisited her past. It didn't take much for her to image Alex as that eighteen year old, setting out on her own, determined to see the world.

The two of them met each other eyes across the table as their laughter died down and they stayed like this for a moment before being interrupted by the sudden arrival of the waitress.

Alex and Piper looked up to the waitress with slight annoyance of her timing but didn't think about it too much as they quickly ordered. Both had barely looked at the menu, but Alex knew it pretty well already. She ordered her usual of blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. Piper, who wasn't as familiar with the menu as Alex was just ordered the first thing that she saw, waffles.

They waited for the waitress to return with their drink orders of coffee before saying another word.

"So..."

"So..."echoed back Alex with a small smirk. She continued to stare at Piper as she brought her mug of coffee up to her lips and drank from it slowly.

"Eww! You drink it black?!" Piper couldn't help but make a face of disgust as she watched as Alex drank her coffee that the waitress had just poured. She hated the bitter taste of black coffee. She liked her coffee sweet and milky. She needed at least two milks and two sugars in hers before she could drink it. "That's nasty!"

A look of amusement played out on Alex's face at hearing this. She raised her eyebrows in slight astonishment before taking another sip from her coffee. This time she sipped loudly, taking a long satisfying drink, enjoying the bitter taste on her tongue before smacking her lips with pleasure. "Mmmm," she moaned softly.

Piper knew that Alex's little show of draining her coffee was suppose to bother her. And usually when someone drank black coffee, she shuddered a little ,but what the brunette had just done had been hot. From the seductive manner in which she smacked those lush lips together to that cat-like purring noise she had done... It did all things to her body as she shifted a little in her seat, cradling her mug harder in her hands. She wanted to pretend that Alex's show hadn't turned her on and to say that black coffee was nasty. But she couldn't. So instead the blonde just looked at her as she took a small sip from her own coffee.

A small grin crept across Alex's features at seeing the lust flash in Piper's eyes. It gave her pride to know the control she'd over her. A slight awkward silence fell over the two woman as they continue to drink their coffee.

"So what's your family like?" asked Piper suddenly as she lowered her mug onto the table and once again locked eyes on Alex.

"My family?" asked Alex, in slight puzzlement. She didn't have much of a family she thought. Sure she had an aunt and uncle and a few cousins, but that was it. Plus they weren't really her family...not in the way she thought of them. Her mom was really her only true family. "It's just really me and my mom."

"No siblings?"

"Nope!" answered Alex with a shake of her head. "My mom just had me."

"I sometimes wish I was an only child," spoke Piper, nervously. "I have two brothers and they drove me crazy growing up."

"Younger or older?" asked Alex with interest.

"Danny is older and Cal is younger. And then I'm smack dab in the middle!" Piper brought her right hand down and tapped the edge of the table, emphasizing her point.

Alex smiled at this. She wouldn't have guessed that Piper was a middle child. She seemed so much more like the youngest child. "Are you guys close?" she asked out of interest.

Piper shrugged in response. Danny was three years older then she was and Cal was four years younger. She hadn't been very close to either of her brothers growing up. They'd more fought and drove one another crazy. And even now as adults, they rarely spoke to one another. Piper guessed, she was more close to Cal, than to Danny if she really had to chose.

"Not really," she answered. "Danny and I have different view points on everything. He's in medical school at the moment, going to be this big doctor...the pride of the family!" There was a slight bitterness to the blonde's tone as she talked about her older brother. "Cal is the opposite of that...he's much more mellow then Danny is."

"And what does he do?"

"Cal! He is studying at Brown at the moment...well was studying...he kinda dropped out...well is going too. He hasn't told my parent's yet though. That should be a fun conversation," explained Piper in one long ramble.

"Cal thinks he some sort of hippie. Not like a -let's go protest the cutting down of rainforests, hunger strike types...but more sit on your ass, smoke weed, live in the forest type. He _was_ studying geography or something like that. But then he met this girl, Neri and fell mad in love. He told me they're planning to live in this old camper van together, driving across the country and seeing the world and shit."

Piper wasn't exactly sure why she was telling Alex, all about her younger brother Cal and the newest idea in his head. She was nervous and if Alex hadn't realize already that the blonde attended to ramble a bit.

"Sounds like fun to me," responded Alex as she leaned slightly over the table. She gave Piper a small smile, reassuring her she didn't mind hearing about her brother.

"I guess..."Piper's voice trailed off slightly as the waitress suddenly arrived at the table with their food.

"Enough about me though. Tell me about your mom," whispered Piper as she unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap before cutting into her waffles.

"What do you want to know?" asked Alex as she reached for the maple syrup and poured it over her pancakes. "There isn't much to tell."

"I dunno," shrugged Piper. "Anything. You seem pretty close."

"We are," Alex spoke through a mouthful of food.

Her mom had gotten pregnant with her when she was eighteen. Her mom had been her best friend growing up and still was. She wouldn't say they had like a Gilmore Girl relationship going on, but pretty close too it. She could sense that Piper wanted more information out of her than just that, but she didn't want to talk about her mom at the moment. She didn't want to have to explain how her mom had worked like four jobs just to put food on the table and how she hated how Alex hadn't, at least gone to the community college near by the house. But instead ran off with these wild dreams to New York to meet her dad. She didn't want Piper to look down on her or her mom in anyway after finding out about her past. She knew that Piper came from a stable home and money. Just hearing about how her brother was dropping out of Brown had ticked her off slightly. She would jump at the chance to go back to school if she could. But of course, she had no money to do that.

Piper just nodded her head, waiting for Alex to continue on and when she didn't, she just remained quiet and ate her waffles.

After that slight uncomfortable silence, Piper had changed the topic to a much more lighter one. As the two of them finished off their meals, they joked and teased each other, making sure to avoid talking about their families or anything heavy.

Piper felt her heart began to hammer again as the waitress clear their plates and slid the bill into the middle of the table. She always hated this part of a date. She never knew if she should reach for it or not. With all her past experiences with dating, the guy had always paid for her. She would try to pay half but they would always refuse. She knew it was a pride thing with guys. But she didn't know how it worked for lesbians. Should she offer to pay? Or should she wait to see what Alex did first? OR should she just grab the bill herself? Or should she offer to go stag on it, splitting it?

She was so confused at the moment as her looked from the small piece of paper lying between them to Alex and back. No one had reached for it yet as it lay there mocking her. She found herself chewing on her bottom lip as she debated what to do. What was the proper thing to do? she thought. As she debated all this in her head, she watched as Alex reached into her purse and produced her wallet.

Piper felt her pulse pick up slightly and in a panic she found her hand reaching out and snatching the bill before Alex could.

Alex was slightly taken back by this as her hand hung slightly in midair. "What the fuck are you doing?" she asked as she adjusted her glasses, continuing to look at the blonde.

"I'm paying," stated Piper in a clear voice. She suddenly felt very relaxed as she looked up at Alex. She gave the brunette a tight smile before glancing down at the total of the bill.

"You don't have to," responded Alex slowly as she watched as Piper pulled out her own wallet and began to open it.

"I know," replied back Piper. "But you paid for the pizza last night. It's my turn now... _shit_!"

"What?" asked Alex.

"Shit!" repeated the blonde as she stared down at the empty contents of her wallet. She had no cash on her. "Shit!"

It was okay, she thought. She would just pay by credit card. It was all going to be okay, she thought as she pulled of the plastic Visa card from her wallet and laid it down on the table.

"They don't take credit," stated Alex, trying to suppress the smile she could feel threatening to appear on her face.

"They don't!?" cried out Piper, flabbergasted to hear this. What place didn't take fucking credit? she thought. This was the twenty first century. It was fucking 2013.

"Nope!" replied Alex, pointing over to the sign by the cash, which read- **Cash Only**!

Piper's blue eyes were wide as she continued to stare at the brunette before looking over at the sign and back. "Shit!"

Alex just smirked in response to this before sliding out of the booth and grabbing the bill which sat in front of Piper on the table. She stood over the blonde for a second, peering down at her before leaning forward and kissing her.

"Next time, babe." whispered Alex as she pulled away after a moment had passed. She winked at Piper before turning on her heel and heading away from the table.

Piper touched her lips as she sat back against the vinyl booth while Alex went to go pay the bill. The blonde was a little taken back, by not only the very public kiss they'd just shared, but that Alex had just called her babe. She could feel her insides smiling with joy at this.

Alex, thought she was a _babe_!


	11. Chapter 11

Piper wasn't sure how it had happened but she found herself back in Alex's apartment.

After leaving the diner, the two of them had walked around the neighbourhood for a bit before they found themselves in front of Alex's building. Having, no other plans of her own, Piper agreed to come up and "hang". So far hanging out had consisted of making out like teenagers on the couch. And as much fun as it was, there was something that Piper needed to ask her about.

"So how's...this...going...to...work...?" asked Piper as Alex's mouth began to roam down the side of her neck and chin. They had yet to discuss how things at work were going to go. Like, she knew they would keep it professional. But maybe they should set some rules or something between them?

"How's what going to work?" asked Alex in between kisses. Her green eyes looking at Piper in puzzlement. "The sex?" She didn't know what else Piper could be referring too other then sex.

Piper's widened slightly before shaking her head vigorously at the brunette. " _No_! not the sex!" She still wasn't sure how that was going to work either, but that wasn't what she'd been asking.

" _Work_! " she hissed. "How is going to work at work?"

Alex, who had been previously on top of the blonde, suddenly sat up and slipped her glasses back on. A sigh of sorts escaped from her lips as she looked over at the blonde. She could sense that fun-time was over as a serious expression appeared on the blonde's face. She actually wanted to talk about work now...out of all the things to talk about or not to talk about...

"Like...isn't there a no dating rule or something? How does that work? Like how do Mercy and Tricia make it work without Red going ape-shit on them?" Piper pressed her back into the armrest of the couch as she sat up and crossed her legs, facing Alex.

"Wow! Aren't we full of questions suddenly?" commented Alex. This was a first she had to admit. She'd never been stopped mid make out session to discuss work or anything really before.

"Well, don't you think it's something we need to at _least_ talk about?" asked Piper, suddenly feeling defensive. "Since we're starting this whole...dating thing."

Alex just stared at Piper for a second. She'd no idea where all this was coming from. It just seemed sudden. This was only their second date. She couldn't help, but feel like Piper was talking about moving in together or something, not just about how things would work between them while at the bar.

"I think it's pointless..." admitted Alex.

"Pointless?!"

"Yeah...this whole conversation is pointless..."

"Why? because you just see me as some fucking plaything for you?" Piper knew she was jumping to conclusions here, that Alex was just trying to get into her pants and that afterwards she would just toss her to the side. But she couldn't help it. She liked Alex, but didn't want to get hurt in the process. If Alex just saw her as a fling, she wanted to know now.

"Well...I do want you as my plaything," joked Alex, trying to lighten the mood. She hated how serious it had gone so quickly.

"I'm fucking being serious Alex! Do you see this going somewhere?"

"Look...I can't answer that. And NO! It's not because I don't see it going anywhere. I see it going a lot of places, actually..." Alex's voice trailed off for a second as she tried to figure out what she trying to say to Piper. "I like you. I just don't see the point in having a whole conversation about the future and how this is going to work between us. Especially when it's still new, like _really_ new!"

Piper couldn't help, but smile slightly. She guess it was a little crazy of her to bring up this whole conversation about the future of their relationship when it was just starting out.

"I guess, it is a little premature of me..." she admitted.

"Ya think?!" teased Alex with a smirk.

A blanket of silence fell over them as they met each other's eye. Leaning forward, Alex pressed her mouth softly against Piper's. They stayed like this for a moment longer before Piper pulled away.

"What?" asked Alex, sensing there was another question on the horizon.

"Well...how will this work tonight?" asked Piper.

"I dunno," murmured Alex with a shrug. "I'll bartend and you'll wait on tables."

"Yeah...but..."

"But what kid?" asked Alex as she once again leaned against the pillows of the couch. "I'm not going to do anything in front of Red...if that's what you're worried about. I need this job."

"I need this job too," whispered Piper, moving so that she was now seated closed to Alex, slightly pressed up against her side.

"So why hasn't she fired Mercy and Tricia yet?" asked Piper out of curiosity after a moment had passed. "If she really doesn't allow for staff to date then why does she allow for them to do so?"

"I dunno...She likes Mercy," stated Alex as she casually stretched her arm and wrapped it around Piper's shoulder. "And is only keeping Tricia because of Nicky, really."

Piper nodded her head in understanding to this. She didn't know much about her boss really. Except that she was Russian and it was her way or the highway on most accounts.

"There wasn't always a rule that staff couldn't date," commented Alex. "She only started to enforce it a couple of years ago. For two years, now." She remembered back when she had first started to work at the bar, you could basically date or screw whoever you wanted on staff. She remembered clearly that Nicky had taken full advantage of that policy.

"What happened?" asked Piper with interest.

"You know Daya right?" asked Alex as she turned her head to look at the blonde.

"Yeah...I met her on Sunday at the party..."recalled Piper. "She was the pretty Hispanic girl who like to draw manga comics."

Alex just nodded her head in reply to this before continuing on with her story. She'd no idea what manga comics were and wasn't really interested to find out. "Daya use to work at the bar. She was in the kitchen. She wasn't there that long...maybe a month or two before she started going out with Bennett, one of the bouncers at the time. He was new on staff too."

"Oh my god! Bennett worked at the bar too!" Piper couldn't help but be surprised to hear this. She'd wondered at first on how they all knew each other. It made perfect sense now, hearing how they all had previously worked together.

"Yeah. He was in the army previously and was friends with one of Red's sons through school or something like that," explained Alex. "Anyways, so Bennett or John as some people call him, was dating Daya. They fell in love and all that. But after four months or so, Daya found out she was pregnant. But...she didn't know who the father was!"

Piper's mouth hung open as she listened to Alex's story. She was shocked to hear that Daya had a kid. She was the same age as her.

"Wait! It get's better!" stated Alex with a smirk as she noted the look on Piper's face. "It turns out she cheated on Bennett with another staff member...Pornstache!"

"PORNSTACHE!? EW!"

"Exactly! Ew!"

"After Bennett found out what Daya did, he went berserk on Pornstache in front of the entire bar. Stormed in one night, yelling and cussing. Eventually a fight broke out between the two of them. Caused this whole fucking scene. Afterwards, Red fired Bennett on the spot and Daya quit shortly after."

"So wait...how does he still work there then...shouldn't he have gotten fired too?"

"You would fucking think so..."replied Alex. "But he seems to have something over Red's head or something. I dunno..." She shrugged her shoulders as she looked around the room. She didn't really pay much attention to what went on with Pornstache and Red afterwards that made her let him keep his job.

"But after that little love triangle, Red made it a rule that staff was not allowed to date. However, most of the staff was already in relationships together by this point, so it didn't really work either. That's when Big Boo and Mercy were in the prime of their relationship."

Piper was silent as she studied Alex's profile, waiting for her to continue on. She loved to hear about the past drama of the bar.

"And after they broke up, Mercy of course moved on to the next thing...which was Tricia."

"But doesn't she care about the rule? Wasn't she afraid she would get fired?!" asked Piper in confusion.

"Mercy doesn't think the rule applies to her because she was here before it was enforced. So she does the fuck she wants. Plus Red ignores half the things that Mercy and Tricia due half the time. She just makes sure not to schedule them on the same shift and such...just like she did with Big Boo and Mercy after the break up." Alex knew that Red played favourites with her girls. And not having fired either Big Boo or Mercy yet showed that. However, neither had really screwed up big enough to disappoint the Russian. Red could go from loving you to hating you with the snap of your fingers if you did something to upset her.

"I don't think she likes me very much," whispered Piper after a moment had passed.

"Well...you haven't been there fucking long enough..." teased Alex towards the blonde.

* * *

Piper was surprisingly calm and relaxed that night at work.

She thought for sure she would be nervous working around Alex, knowing that Red could see them. She'd been afraid that she would be this open book of sorts. That she would have the words -ALEX written across her forehead, making it known to everyone that she liked the brunette. However, the night was going pretty normal so far. She'd only spilled one drink and mixed up an order. Alex was busy bartending while she waited tables along side Mercy. The two of them had hardly talked, except for exchanging orders.

Red was too busy talking and socializing with a table of men, the same table of men that Piper remembered seeing last week.

Piper watched Red through the corner of her eye as she moved around the room, serving. There was a huge smile plastered on the older woman's face as she let out a hearty laugh of sorts before saying something in Russian. No one was allowed to touch that table. That was another unspoken rule. Only Red interacted with that table unless told otherwise.

Piper had learned that lesson the hard way, when she approached the table of men earlier, when they had first come into the bar. It was in her section. However, Red had quickly shooed her away.

She couldn't help, but think again that Red didn't like her. Clearly, that group of men were of important status or something and Red didn't trust her enough with them. However, Mercy had informed her about the rule. The blonde had felt a little better after hearing this, but she couldn't help but think still that Red didn't like her. She saw the way the older woman interacted with the other girls. She was always some what smiling and joking with them. But with her, she always seemed cold and irrupt. She knew Alex said not to take it personally that she was still new here and Red would eventually warm up to her.

However, Piper couldn't shake the feeling that she'd done something wrong to offend the Russian woman.

As Piper continued to think about her relationship with her boss, a customer drew her attention.

"Another beer honey!"

Piper turned away from the table she'd been in the middle of clearing and looked over at the table behind her.

"No problem, Mr. Caputo!" spoke Piper with a smile towards the balding middle age man before turning back onto the table she was in the middle of wiping down.

"Call me Joe!" He insisted with a smile.

Piper glanced over her shoulder at him again and smiled in return, "Joe."

Caputo was a regular at the bar. He worked at one of the near by business offices in security or something, she couldn't remember. Piper had met him on her second shift and he had shown up every shift since.

Piper checked on two other tables, taking orders before making her way to the bar.

"How can I help you?" asked Alex as she saw Piper approach.

"I need an apple martini, a sidecar and another Coors for Mr. Caputo!" Piper couldn't help but groan as she said the last order. She was use to being hit on at the bar by drunks but there was just something about Mr. Caputo or Joe as he insist she call him by, that gave her the creeps. He didn't hit on her in the obvious sense like she was use too. It was more of a shy subdued way where he was trying to show interested, but be friendly at the same time.

"Awhh," replied Alex nodding her head in understanding as she looked across the bar, towards Caputo's table. She grinned cheekily as her eyes fell back onto the blonde. "Good old Caputo!"

"He creeps me out!" whispered Piper harshly as she leaned over the surface of bar at Alex. "He was telling me, he was in some sort of band...Sideboob! Who the hell names their band Sideboob!?"

Alex let out a raspy chuckle as she reached for a bottle of whiskey and pulled down a clean glass from the shelf behind her. Caputo had been coming to the bar for years now. He was pretty friendly with most of the staff. His crush or whatever it was on Piper was innocent as ever. He was always hitting on the newest pretty thing that Red hired. His fixation on Piper would pass.

"If I had a band, I would name it something cool like The Pin-ups!" offered Alex as she placed the finished drink onto Piper's tray before reaching for another glass.

"The Pin-ups?!"

"Yeah, I love pin-up girls!" stated Alex as she gestured to the small tattoo on her right arm. "We could all dress in satin hot pants and wear our hair in these rad styles from the 40's and 50's.

Piper didn't know quite what to make of all this. She knew that Alex was this retro-style chick, but this was the first time she was hearing about her fantasy to have a band called The Pin-ups. "You've obviously thought of this before..."

"Just a little," admitted Alex with a smirk. Her eyes were full of mischief as she glanced quickly at the blonde before going back to making the martini. "When you grow up having a dad as some big shot drummer...you tend to think about starting your own band."

"I guess," murmured Piper in reply.

The two didn't say anything else to each other as Alex continued to make the drink and placed it down onto the tray before pouring the Coors for Caputo.

"If you are going to have some rockabilly band, you should be named something cooler sounding then The Pin-ups...like The Bettie Pages or Hep Kittens..." offered Piper casually to the brunette.

Alex couldn't help but be amused at what the blonde had just told her. Where they really discussing names for some non-existent band of hers?

"I like Hep Kittens!" she replied as she placed the pint glass down onto the tray.

"It's a way better name for a band than Sideboob!" Piper smiled at Alex as she took her full tray of drinks and began to walk away from the bar.

* * *

"Meet me outside..."whispered Alex seductively into Piper's ear as she placed a drink onto her tray. It was a few hours later and Alex's shift was almost up.

This took Piper by surprise.

She stood there dumbfounded as Alex winked playfully before disappearing behind the door which separate the main bar area to the back.

Piper stared at the door before shifting her eyes around the crowded bar, making sure no one was looking.

Of course though, no one was paying attention to her as she quickly took the tray and carried the drink over to the customers it belonged too.

She made sure to check on her others tables before slipping outside. Her heart picked up slightly as she walked passed the storage closet and kitchens, passed Red's office to the back door. She knew that she was entitled to a break and Big Boo was already here to take over Alex's shift. No one would really noticed that they where gone, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was wrong.

Piper, ever since she was a kid, she'd played by the rules. She was never good at being bad and just being plain reckless.

She was a good girl.

However, as she pushed opened that door and felt Alex's hands on her...that all went out the window.

"Alexx?.." she stuttered in surprise.

"Ssshhh..."

Alex immediatly put her mouth on Piper's, kissing her deeply as her hands went to the blonde's waist. She pulled her away from the door and pressed her up against the wall. She'd been wanting to kiss her all shift.

As Piper felt Alex's mouth on her and was pressed up against the wall in a fire of passion she couldn't help, but think that being bad had never felt so good...so damn good...

Piper's hands flew to Alex's hair as her mouth began to press hard against hers. She didn't no where all this built up sexual tension was coming from, but she didn't dare to question it now.

They stayed like this for a few moments, kissing and touching before coming up for air.

Alex smiled sheepishly at Piper as she came to rest her forehead against the blonde's. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that."

"What? To kiss me?"

"Yeah," admitted Alex, bringing a hand up and lightly touching Piper's cheek.

"You couldn't wait a few minutes longer before both our shifts ended..." Piper was just teasing Alex as she continued to stare up at her.

"No, I couldn't," whispered Alex in a low voice before she began to nuzzle the blonde's neck.

Piper let out a girlish giggle as the feathery touches of Alex's lip tickled her skin. She'd always been ticklish along her neck. And this time served to be no different as Alex continued press kisses along the elegant scope of it.

"You smell _good_..." Alex's breathe was warm against Piper's ear.

"Yeah?"

" _Mmhmm_..."moaned Alex as she once again nuzzle the blonde's neck. "Like vanilla."

Piper found her eyes closing as the sensation of Alex's mouth continued to take over her. Everything previous was gone from her mind. Red ignoring her. Caputo hitting on her. The guilt of leaving her tables to make out with the bartender...All of it was gone as warmth filled her stomach, creating a wave of pleasure over her.

As they continued to get lost in the feel and touch of each other, they didn't hear the back door being open.

"Yo! Vause! Red's lookin' for ya!"

"Shit!" cursed Alex as she pulled herself away from Piper at this and looked over at Big Boo.

"Well. Well. Well. What do we've here?" There was a smug look on Big Boo's face as she crossed her arms over her chest and continued to stare at Alex and Piper.

Alex just glared at the other woman in annoyance. She adjusted her glasses before taking a deep breath.

"What does Red want?" she asked, ignoring Big Boo's other question. She was not in the mood to be teased about her love life at the moment. It was none of Boo's business what her and Piper had just been doing.

Piper didn't dare to look at Big Boo or Alex as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at being caught in the act. She kept her eyes focused on her feet as she listened to the exchange of the other two.

"I dunno!" replied Big Boo. "She didn't say. Just asked where you were. I thought you just came out here for a smoke, but turns out it was for a whole lot more..." She wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Alex.

Alex once again just glared at Boo with annoyance before casting a sideways glance at Piper. God, this was not how this was suppose to go, she thought. She fought the urge to say something to the blonde. She didn't want to give Big Boo anything more she could hold over her than she already did.

The brunette sighed before she walked passed Big Boo and headed back inside to find Red.

"I should get back..."whispered Piper as she suddenly lifted her head and looked at Big Boo.

"Oh no...Hold it there Blondie!" spoke Big Boo as she blocked Piper from passing her in the doorway.

"What?" asked Piper was an edge of annoyance in her tone.

"Let's talk about what I just saw..."Big Boo licked her lips slightly as a smirk spread across her features. "I didn't know you liked yourself some pussy. I totally had you pegged as a _straight_ shooter!"

"My sexuality is none of your business!" snapped Piper.

"Oh! That's where you're wrong! It's everyone's business here!"


	12. Chapter 12

Two weeks had passed since Alex had asked her out.

Two wonderful weeks of getting to know this tall sexy brunette.

They'd yet to do that thing, though. Which surprised Piper. In terms of most of her previous relationships, she would have already sealed the deal by now. And sure the sex still scared her a bit, but she was more curious than ever now about it. She knew it wouldn't be much longer before she was losing her vagina v-card to Alex. Especially, right now as she held the warm pillowiness that was Alex's breasts.

She'd never really touched another women's breasts before a few days ago. She nuzzled her face against Alex's neck, inhaling the familiar sandalwood notes of her perfume, as her hands continued to paw at the soft flesh of the breasts. Piper would never have considered herself a boob person, but she definitely was in love with Alex's. So far they were her favourite part of Alex's body...not that she had gotten to explore much of the rest of it.

"Babe..." came Alex's voice hot against her ear.

She knew what the brunette was about to say, but she didn't want to hear it as she took the delicate skin of Alex's earlobe between her lips and sucked on it. Piper had never had a thing for earlobes before either, but she found she had a weird desire with Alex's. She was always wanting to suck and nibble on them.

"Babe..." came Alex's voice again. "We need to stop thissmmmhh...that's good!"

The brunette's voice trailed off into a low moan as Piper's fingers suddenly pulled roughly on her nipples.

The two of them were in Alex's living room on the couch. Piper, who was fully clothed, was straddling Alex, who was topless. They were supposed to be leaving soon and heading over to Queens for a small get-together at Nicky's.

However, they'd gotten a little carried away.

Alex's hands rested ever so lightly on Piper's waist, feeling the curve of the blonde's hip bone through the paper-thin material of the red sundress she wore. She knew if they didn't stop their fooling around soon they'd never make it to Queens. And she was very, very tempted to let that happen. To drag the blonde the short distance from the couch to her bedroom and further explore each others' bodies.

But she couldn't ditch Nicky. They were supposed to be having a couples' get-together thing. It was going to be Nicky, Lorna, her and Piper, along with Big Boo and her newest fling, Brook, and Jones, who was also friend of their crew.

Alex closed her eyes briefly as she allowed herself to enjoy the feel of Piper's body pressed up against her. She slid her hands down the span of the blonde's back to her ass and squeezed both of her cheeks. She felt Piper's mouth press against her collarbone in response to this.

"Fuck me," whispered Piper.

Alex's eyes immediately shot open at this and looked at Piper. A funny feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach as she continued to look at the blonde for a moment. She knew she could very well have her way quickly with Piper right there. Her hands were so close to the money spot, and she knew that Piper was more than willing. But she fought to remind herself that she didn't just want a quickie with the blonde. She wanted to be able to have her way with Piper over and over again. And that time was becoming closer and closer to happening as they spent more and more time together.

Just as Alex opened her mouth to say something, Piper was shoving her tongue down her throat. The blonde didn't care about going to Nicky's at the moment. All she wanted was to feel Alex's mouth and hands over her naked body. She had dreamt what the sex would be like for a full week now. Her hands kneaded roughly at Alex's breasts as she ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom row of teeth.

"Babe..." whispered Alex in between kisses. She was trying to stop her, but at the same time, she wasn't trying that hard either.

Piper shook her head slightly as she pulled roughly on Alex's bottom lip with her mouth and sucked on it. Her hips grinded against the brunette, and she could feel her underwear dampen as her tongue continued to explore the warm depths of Alex's mouth. She had no intention of stopping now. Especially not when it was just beginning to feel so damn good.

The couple continued to kiss for a few moments before Alex pulled away. Okay, they really needed to go now, she thought as she withdrew her hands from the blonde and lowered her glasses back onto her nose.

"Come on, babe," she murmured with a small smile. Her eyes searched Piper's face which was painted in all shades of disappointment. She could clearly sense that Piper wanted more, and she didn't blame her. She wanted more too, and badly, but there was plenty of time for them to do _that_ later.

"You don't _want_ me?" Piper stuck out her lower lip and pouted as she looked back at Alex.

Alex couldn't help but groan as she looked at Piper's wide blue eyes. She was doing that bambi thing with her eyes again. That incredibly adorable cute thing that Alex couldn't resist. "Of course, I fucking want you..." she replied as she slid her hands up Piper's arms.

"Then fuck me," whispered Piper as she pressed her body further against Alex's.

"Baby, please..." moaned Alex, her eyes begging Piper to listen to her. "This isn't the time."

Piper didn't want to hear this. She knew that Alex was trying to be respectful of her and her comfort, but she didn't give a fuck about that. She was horny and just wanted to be touched.

The two women just stared at each other for a moment longer before Alex leaned slightly in and kissed Piper softly on the lips.

"I promise...Soon."

* * *

"This feels so weird," whispered Piper into Alex's ear as they entered the apartment. "It's like seeing your teacher outside of school."

Alex couldn't help but laugh at this. "Well...technically she _is_ your teacher, and you _are_ seeing her outside of class."

"But it's still so weird!" whispered Piper again. She was referring to how Jones was here. She'd never interacted with one of her instructors outside of class before. There had been one time when one of her profs at Smith had taken the whole class out for drinks at the end of the semester of her third year, but that had been extremely uncomfortable for her too. Especially, since her prof had gotten wasted.

"Jones is cool. It'll be fine," Alex whispered back as she placed her hand on the small of Piper's back and ushered her further into the room. She knew that Piper was nervous about hanging out with her friends outside of work, which, until now, they had yet to do. But there was nothing to worry about. She trusted that none of them would rat her or Piper out.

Alex kissed Piper on the cheek as they headed into the kitchen.

"Hey!" Nicky cried out as the couple appeared.

"Hey!" Alex greeted back with a shit-eating grin.

"Aww! Look at y'all...all holding hands and shit!" teased Nicky as she observed the couple.

"Oh, fuck off!" Alex rolled her eyes at her friend before glancing over at Piper. She smiled reassuringly at the blonde, squeezing her hand.

Piper smiled tightly back at her. She didn't know why she was so nervous about being here. It wasn't like everyone didn't already know that they were seeing each other. After Big Boo had caught them in the alley way, word had quickly spread. However, they denied it whenever they could, wanting to keep things under wraps from Red.

The couple held each other's gaze for a second before shifting their attention to around the kitchen.

"What can we get you two to drink?" asked Lorna, addressing the couple. "We got beer. Wine. Boo made this amazing pitcher of margaritas!"

Piper couldn't help but perk up at the mention of margaritas. She had a weakness for tequila. "I'll have a margarita, please!"

Lorna's face broke out into a wide grin at hearing this. She clapped her hands together in excitement before reaching out suddenly and taking Piper by the hand. "Come with me," murmured Lorna towards the blonde.

Piper was a little taken aback as she allowed the much smaller woman to lead her away from Alex and out to the patio where everyone else was. "Okay," she whispered in response before glancing over her shoulder at Alex.

"Bye," she whispered.

"Bye," mouthed Alex back, giving the blonde a small wave before turning her attention to Nicky.

"Where's the beer, Nichols?"

Alex wanted to pretend she was surprised that Lorna had dragged Piper away so quickly from her, but she wasn't really. Lorna was like that with everybody. The petite Italian had been bubbly and friendly with all of her past girlfriends. Nicky had informed her how excited Lorna had been when she'd heard that Piper was coming.

"So how are things with you guys?" asked Nicky as she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer.

"They're good," Alex answered, watching as Nicky popped the cap of the bottle off before handing it to her. "Thanks."

"Still haven't gotten any yet, have ya?" Nicky wagged her eyebrows and smirked at Alex before hopping up onto the counter of the island and reaching for her own beer.

"I told you...We're taking it slow..." Alex's eyes pierced darkly into Nicky's, letting her know she didn't want to talk about her sex life. She had tried to explain to her friend how things with Piper were different from any of her past relationships, but the woman just didn't understand.

"I still don't get the hell why," stated Nicky in amusement as she took a swig of her beer. "I know she's straight and shit. But what the fuck does it matter? Just get in there and lick her fucking pussy!"

"Can we please not fucking talk about this now?" groaned Alex, taking a long drink from the bottle. She had her reasons for not taking the next step with Piper yet, and she didn't feel like it was fair that she had to explain herself to everyone about it.

"I'm just saying!" replied Nicky smugly. "Don't get soft on me, Vause."

Alex just rolled her eyes at Nicky in response and took another drink from her beer. Her thoughts immediately went back to earlier at her apartment. _Was_ she becoming soft? She'd restrained herself from going further earlier when she could have had her way with Piper. And the blonde clearly wasn't the shy little straight girl anymore. She clearly wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Alex knew her stalling was a little stupid, but she really did want to take her time with Piper. She wasn't going to wait months to be with her, but she did want it to be somewhat special, as cheesy and lame as that sounded. It should be at least more than some quick finger-banging on her couch before they went out.

A deafening silence fell over the two friends as Alex shifted her attention out the kitchen window that looked out onto the patio. Her eyes immediately fell onto Piper, who had her head tilted back and was laughing at something. She felt something stir in the pit of her stomach as she continued to watch Piper. She knew she might be getting soft and acting a little different with Piper, but she didn't see that as a bad thing like Nicky was making it out to be. Maybe it was just her finally growing up in a way, she thought.

"Whoa! Who died in here?" asked Big Boo as she came into the room and noticed the awkward tension between the two friends.

"No one died!" replied Nicky as she glanced over her shoulder at Boo. "Just Vause being sensitive."

"Sensitive? To what?" asked Big Boo with interest as she came to stand between the two women. Her eyes looked over at Alex with amusement.

"Nothing," muttered Alex with annoyance. She hated how her mood had gone from upbeat and looking forward to the night to pissed off within seconds of arriving.

"Ah! Is this about blondie outside?" asked Big Boo, picking up on the hint.

"This has nothing fucking to do with Piper..." snapped Alex.

"Which means that it has _everything_ to fucking do with the blonde outside!" smirked Boo as she helped herself to a beer from the fridge. "Am I right?" She looked over at Nicky and nudged her with her arm.

The two loved to give Alex a hard time, especially now since she had started to see Piper. Alex didn't seem like her normal cocky self. She was still a badass, but there was definitely some softening happening within her.

Alex gave her friends her an eye-roll as she continued to drink her beer in silence. She knew they didn't mean any harm. They always made fun of each other whenever one of them started a new relationship. When Nicky had started going out with Lorna, Alex had teased her endlessly, so she knew it was her time now to get it. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

* * *

"So you and Alex, huh?" asked Lorna with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah," replied Piper with a small smile. She wasn't used to people making a big deal about her dating life like everyone was currently doing now that the news of her and Alex was out. "I guess. It's only been two weeks though."

"Aw. That's the best time of a relationship though! When everything is new and exciting..." explained Lorna with a dreamy tone to her Brooklyn accent. The Italian woman winked at Piper from across the table before taking a sip from her drink.

Piper felt her cheeks flush as she stared down into her drink. She could still feel her nerves in the pit of her stomach, being here amongst Alex's friends. It was always a big step, she found, meeting the friends. Yes, she knew most of Alex's friends already since she worked with a lot of them. However, this was a different setting then the bar. It was a social couples gathering of sorts. Piper brought her margarita up to her lips and drank greedily from it as her eyes looked around at the other women at the table. To her right was Brook, Big Boo's newest girlfriend. She was half Japanese, half Irish as she'd proudly informed Piper upon meeting her. Then to her left was Lorna, and across from her was Jones, her drawing teacher, who she learned also taught yoga.

The blonde closed her eyes briefly, allowing the alcohol to take over her system before rejoining the conversation. Lorna and Brook were still talking about the beginning of relationships. She did like the excitement of the beginning of a relationship, but she didn't think it was the best time. She liked when the honeymoon stage and everything had settled down, and when the nerves and not being sure of things had withered. Everything was just comfortable and easy around the other person. That moment, she guessed, she liked best when you started to know you were falling in love.

"Alex seems to really like you though," stated Lorna as she drifted the conversation back towards the blonde.

This statement took Piper by surprise. "I guess," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's still early..."

"Oh don't worry, sweetie," Lorna whispered with a wide grin on her face. "Alex isn't going to be dumping you anytime soon. She likes you...I can tell, and just from what Nicky's told me...You and Alex are going to last...I can sense it."

Piper didn't know how to respond to this. What had Nicky exactly told her about her and Alex? Better yet, what had Alex told Nicky?! She knew it was normal for friends to gossip and talk about their newest partners. She was just discussing Alex last night with Polly herself. However, she wouldn't want Alex to know that.

Piper just gave Lorna a tight smile before taking another long sip from her glass. Just breathe, thought the blonde to herself as she once again tried to calm her nerves. There was no need to panic. She was sure that Alex had only spoken good things about her to Nicky. Unless...

Unless, Alex was talking about her lack of experience with Nicky and was having doubts about her? However, what Lorna had just said suggested otherwise. That she and Alex would last. That Alex liked her. Well, that part Piper already knew. But did she like her enough to stay around? She was still waiting for the bubble of bliss that the last two weeks had been to burst and for Alex to get tired of her.

* * *

The sun was setting as Alex stepped out onto the patio, standing on the outskirts for a second, observing the atmosphere. Some top-40 song was playing in the background as everyone was seated around a table. Laughter and conversation filled her ears as she studied the group of women. Her early rift with Nicky and Big Boo in the kitchen was out of her mind now as she took in the scene of all her friends. It was nice to see Piper's face amongst them.

"Vause, I know you're pale and shit, but are you like a fucking vampire? Like, do ya need a fucking invitation or something?!" cried out Nicky toward Alex.

Alex immediately snapped out of her trance and blinked before reaching out and adjusting her glasses. She grinned at Nicky before joining the rest of them at the table. She guessed it was stupid of her to hover by the doorway. She just couldn't get over how happy she felt at the moment surrounded by not only her friends but her family.

"No, I am not a vampire," she stated as she squeezed herself into the chair between Piper and Jones.

"Could have fooled me by the way you were hovering over there..." joked Nicky as she took a swig from her beer.

"If she were a vampire she would have to sparkle," stated Lorna as she gestured to Alex. "She doesn't sparkle!"

"Sparkle?!"

"Yeah... Vampires sparkle! It's something in their skin or something that makes them like sparkle in the sun. It's like they lathered themselves up in highlighter or something.." Lorna ran her hand over her arm like she was applying lotion to her skin.

"I think that's only in Twilight..." said Piper slowly.

"Twilight like the time or the saga?" asked Big Boo.

"Or the zone? Don't forget about the Twilight Zone!" pointed out Brook. "My Grampy and I used to watch that together. He was all about the sci-fi and time travel and..."

"The saga," Piper cut her off as she glanced over at Big Boo, ignoring Brook. "They only sparkle... the vampires in the books and movies."

"Are you sure?" jumped in Lorna. "I don't think that's something they would just make up."

"I'm pretty sure," spoke Piper. "Stephanie Meyers made them glisten and other things in the books. But real vampires don't sparkle."

"Real vampires!?" laughed Alex in disbelief. "Are you telling me you believe that there are real vampires out in the world?" Her green eyes sparkled in amusement as she continued to look at Piper.

"No. I'm just saying that it is only in the Twilight saga that vampires sparkle," stated Piper in all seriousness to Alex. She wasn't some vampire worshipper that thought that vampires were real and skulked about in the darkness, craving human blood. She was just trying to prove her point that vampires in Twilight were different from other ones.

"I don't think so," cried Lorna from across the table. "I'm pretty sure I've heard of other vampires other than Edward Cullen...sparkling..."

"No, it's the truth. If you look back to the historical record pertaining to vampires, none of them have been described as sparkling...beautiful and hot...yes...but not sparkling..." Piper didn't want to start a fight, but she couldn't help herself, she had to set it straight. "Look at Bram Stoker's Dracula. He never sparkled. Even the vampires in True Blood... None of them sparkle. If they were to go in the sun, they wouldn't sparkle...they would die!"

"When did you fucking become like the vampire expert?" asked Alex in amusement.

"I'm not an expert...I've just read a lot of books with vampires in them..." Piper trailed off, suddenly feeling very shy and stupid. Maybe she did have a thing for vampires, she thought.

"I never saw Twilight...Was it any good?" asked Big Boo as she looked between Lorna and Piper for with interest.

"No!" replied Piper at the same time as Lorna.

"Yes!" Lorna cried out as she turned to face Big Boo. "I must've seen it like ten times...and that's only the first one. Now everyone was all for Team Edward, but I really was for Team Jacob...he's the werewolf. He's in my favourite movie of the saga...the second one...New Moon...It's when you really get to see Bella and Jacob's connection for one another..."

"I was more Team Bella myself!" joked Nicky towards the rest of them as Lorna continued to describe New Moon to Big Boo.

"I actually have a theory on the whole Twilight and vampire saga," Brook began to explain as she once again attempted to join in the conversation. "It's supposed to reflect this new obsession with society. But we've always had a interest for monsters and such long before Twilight and True Blood came out. It actually traces back to the Romantic period when Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein."

"Looks like you got some competition here, _college_!" smirked Nicky as she looked over at Piper.

* * *

" _I'm horny_..." whispered Piper into Alex's ear.

It was just the two of them out on the patio now. The rest of the group was still mingling in the house.

"You're what?"

" _I'm. Horny_." whispered Piper as she snuggled closer to Alex on the porch swing. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or the heat of the summer air, but her body was wired up. The blonde nuzzled Alex's neck, brushing her lips softly against the brunette's collarbone as her hand began to roam underneath Alex's shirt.

Alex's eyes gleamed at hearing this and smirked as she pulled the blonde closer to her on the swing. She could hear the others in the distance, their raucous laughter spilling out from the open back door of the house into the backyard. She looked briefly over towards the door before turning her attention back onto Piper.

Piper's hand moved further up Alex's shirt, resting on the curve of the brunette's ribcage as her mouth sucked on the spot of skin just below her earlobe. Alex could feel her own self getting turned on as the heat of Piper's touch slowly took over. She was very aware of where Piper's hand was heading. Piper's movements were urgent and full of need as the pads of her fingers brushed against the base of Alex's bra.

"Whoa there, _handsy_!" Alex cried out suddenly as Piper's hand slipped smoothly underneath the cup of her bra and roughly squeezed her right breast. The older woman smirked as she pulled Piper's hand away and out from her underneath her shirt. Alex was all for getting it on but certainly not when someone could easily walk in on them.

"Fuck me," Piper whispered sharply into in Alex's ear before allowing her hand to roam again.

"Not here, babe," whispered Alex in response as she turned to look at Piper and once again pulled the blonde's hand away from her chest.

Piper just stared at Alex for a second before crashing her mouth hungrily to hers. She didn't care what was proper behaviour at the moment. Her body was tense with need and lust for Alex. She wanted her so fucking badly at the moment. Being with a woman no longer scared her. She just wanted to feel Alex's mouth and hands all over her. She wanted to experience _the_ Alex Vause.

The blonde didn't wait for Alex as she roughly parted her girlfriend's lips and plunged her tongue into the warm depths of her mouth. She pressed her body into Alex's as her hands began to roam again.

Alex didn't stop Piper this time as she closed her eyes and finally gave in. She met the tip of her tongue with her own, drawing circles around each other before retreating briefly back.

Alex found her heart was racing as her hand instinctively cupped the back of Piper's head. She knew she should stop soon before things got too out of hand, before she couldn't stop, but her body had a mind of its own at this moment, and right now, it wanted Piper and badly. She had been determined to practice patience with Piper, wanting to wait and follow Piper's lead. But now Piper was telling her to go there.

The kiss continued to deepen for a few moments before they needed to come up for air.

"Take me home..." came Piper's voice, hot against Alex's ear.

Alex didn't need any further convincing. She was practically melting already from the heat of that kiss. She knew she said she would wait and had stopped Piper earlier that night, but now she was marching to a different tune. Maybe it was the alcohol in her bloodstream or the feel of Piper's insistent hand against her tits or her own animalistic need for sex. Or a little bit of everything, really.

She most definitely would take Piper home now, no ifs, ands, or buts.

* * *

It took all of their might and willpower to sustain themselves until they got off the subway and were able to walk the short distance to Piper's apartment. Neither spoke a word as Piper unlocked the front door and led Alex up the flight of stairs to her apartment. Alex hovered very close as Piper unlocked her actual apartment door and opened it.

"This is home," Piper whispered as Alex stepped past her and into the apartment.

"It's nice," Alex commented politely as her eyes briefly took in the darkened living room before looking over at Piper, who was shutting the door behind her. They both knew that Piper wouldn't be giving her a grand tour of the apartment now. The only room that Alex had interest in seeing was the bedroom.

Alex continued to watch the blonde, waiting for her to do something. This was not only the first time they would be engaging in sexual relations, but it was also the first time that she was in Piper's apartment. She couldn't help but think that it did smell a little like chicken as she wrinkled her nose.

"Sorry, I know it stinks in here," Piper apologized as she noticed the look on the brunette's face. "You kinda get used to it though..."

"It's fine," whispered Alex as she moved closer to Piper. That the smell of the restaurant downstairs was currently wafting through the apartment was the last thing on her mind as she locked eyes with Piper.

Piper smiled nervously at Alex for a second. She didn't know if she should play hostess, offering the brunette a drink and something to eat or if she should just cut to the chase and lead her to the bedroom. God, her apartment was a mess, she thought as she shifted her eyes around the room. There were dirty dishes in the kitchen sink and paintings and canvases stacked up against the wall. There were piles of books spread across her couch from her recent trip at the used book store, and just a few feet away was her laundry basket filled with dirty clothes. That wasn't embarrassing at all, she thought, chastising herself. She was glad that the lighting in the room was dark, so hopefully Alex couldn't see too much of the mess.

Alex couldn't take the wait any longer and reached out for Piper, enclosing her fingers around the blonde's small waist and pulling her close.

Piper immediately looked up at Alex at this. The brunette winked at her before bending her head down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. All thoughts of the state of her apartment flew out of Piper's mind as she threw her arms around Alex's neck and returned the kiss happily.

They stood for a moment as their mouths pressed and moved against each other's, the kiss soft as their lips opened and closed against each other slowly. They had all the time in the world it seemed as they let the kiss build at a slow pace. They both wanted this, but neither wanted to screw it up by rushing things.

Piper stood on her tiptoes as she moved her hands so that she was now cupping Alex's face and pulling her mouth closer against hers. Her tongue parted the brunette's lips and began to explore within.

Alex moaned at feeling the slick heat of Piper's tongue against her own and immediately began roaming her hands up and down Piper's back. Her heart hammered with anticipation as she felt the heat of Piper's body pressing tightly against her own. It was taking everything in her to not just take the blonde right then and there, bedroom or no bedroom.

The couple continued to kiss heavily for a few moments longer before breaking apart.

Piper didn't dare to say anything as she took Alex by the hand and led her to the bedroom. She could feel the back of her neck begin to sweat slightly as she stepped over the threshold of the room. She was grateful she had taken the time to make her bed this morning before leaving the house, so at least she didn't look like a total pig in front of Alex.

Alex gave Piper's hand a squeeze as she locked eyes with her and smiled. She could tell that the blonde was nervous, but there was nothing to be nervous really about. She wasn't going to hurt her in any way. She wanted Piper to enjoy this.

A brief moment of awkwardness fell between them before Piper was pulling Alex into another kiss. She could almost feel her mind begin to overthink slightly as she kissed Alex roughly, pulling her towards the bed. She was trying to appear confident in her movements as she pushed Alex down onto the edge of the bed and straddled her. She was hoping not to let her inexperience and nerves show too much as the kiss deepened. She'd sex before, and she knew she wanted this to happen. She hadn't invited Alex back to her apartment for nothing. It was just that her drunken confidence was slightly fading now they were in her apartment...on her bed.

Alex's lips were soft against Piper's as she slid her hands up the blonde's smooth back. She was once again being careful with her as the kiss continued to build with yearning and want. She deepened her touch slightly, kissing her hard as her hands made their way along Piper's shoulder blades and fingered the string of the halter dress the blonde was wearing, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger before tugging on it suddenly, undoing the knot at the back of Piper's neck. It came undone easily for her, making the top of the dress fall lazily down the front of Piper's chest.

Alex smiled wickedly against Piper's mouth. She pulled on Piper's bottom lip, sucking on it slightly. Her hands slowly slid up Piper's sides and took her small breasts into her hands.

Piper murmured at feeling Alex's sudden touch on her. A thrill of excitement filled her stomach as she sank herself lower onto the brunette's lap. Her hips pressed against Alex's, feeling the roughness of her jeans against her bare thighs. Her head tilted back allowing her long hair to fall down her back like a waterfall. Her lips were parted slightly as the pleasure continued to build within.

Alex nuzzled the side of Piper's neck as she deepened her touch on her breasts. She loved how snugly they fit into her palm. The pads of her fingers dug into the soft skin repeatedly as her mouth traveled down the slope of Piper's neck. She could sense that Piper was enjoying it at the soft sounds and noises coming currently from her mouth.

They stayed like this for a few moments as Alex's mouth made its way down to the centre of Piper's chest, kissing the tops of each breast. Her right hand continued to palm at the blonde's right breast as she took the left one into her mouth. She licked and sucked at the base of it before taking the nipple between her lips.

Piper moaned, feeling the heat of Alex's mouth on the sensitive skin of her nipple. She rolled back her shoulders, making her chest thrust forward into Alex's touch. She could feel herself getting wet as she continued to press herself into Alex. Her confidence had once again returned as a wave of pleasure washed through her. She so fucking wanted this, she thought. Her hands pushed on the straps of Alex's tank top, making them fall down broad pale shoulders. She caressed the sides of her neck before running her fingers through the long dark locks of Alex's hair.

A few more moments passed before Alex was flipping Piper onto the bed and pulling off her dress.

"Are you okay?" asked Alex in reassurance as she looked down at Piper in the darkened bedroom. She was taking the lead at the moment, but she needed to know if Piper was okay before progressing.

Piper smiled before reaching out and pulling Alex's face down towards her. She was more than okay, she thought as hungrily kissed her. Yes, she was still a little nervous, but who wasn't nervous with a new partner.

She trusted Alex.

As the kiss continued to build, Piper wrapped her legs around Alex's middle, feeling the brunette's weight on top of her almost naked body. They seemed to remain in this position for a while as their tongues explored the concaves of each others' mouths, hips bumping and grinding against one another as the passion continued to build in the room.

"Take it off," murmured Piper suddenly as she pulled at the edge of Alex's shirt. She wanted to feel her bare chest rub against her own, to feel the weight of those beautiful tits against her own small ones.

Alex smiled as she sat up onto her heels and immediately removed her shirt from her body. She smiled deepened as she looked down into Piper's smouldering eyes. She loved to see that look on her face.

"And that..." spoke Piper in a low voice as she gestured to the black-laced bra currently supporting those beautiful breasts against her body.

Alex gave Piper a little eyebrow raise as she brought her hands to her back and unhooked the clasp, allowing her tits to immediately spill against her as they were released from their hold. As she'd done with her shirt, she threw the bra to the side of the bed.

Piper couldn't help but frown slightly as Alex suddenly got off of the bed and began to take off her jeans. This wouldn't be the first time that Piper would be seeing Alex naked as she'd already seen her stark naked at their first meeting. But this was different now as she took in the curves of her body. This was her own private viewing. There weren't twenty other bodies in the room, gawking at Alex.

Just her.

Piper noticed that Alex had kept her underwear on as she came back to the bed.

They shared a look with one another as Alex once again climbed back on top of Piper. Her knee parting open Piper's legs, Alex pinned Piper's wrists against the bed as her mouth began to attack the nape of her neck. Her kisses were rough as she sucked on the soft skin, leaving slight red marks as she made her way down soft shoulders. She wanted to taste and lavish every part of Piper's body. Alex remembered her own first time - a quick fingering job by a older woman in the bathroom of some club she had snuck into at seventeen. It had been hot and seemed great at the time, but now as she looked back on that experience, she wished it had been a little more. Not that she needed to be fucked on a bed of roses or any shit like that. She just wished she had at least learned the name of the woman who had popped her cherry in a way. Then again, Alex had been drunk that night, extremely drunk. She had gotten into a fight with her mom and had stolen the keys of her car and drove out of town to the nearest gay bar. She had been extremely vulnerable and needy that night...but that was a different story for another time, she thought as her attention drifted back onto Piper.

Piper's breathless moans and murmurs greeted her ears as her mouth traveled down her navel to her centre. She could sense that the blonde was nervous as she felt the racing of her heart as she moved her mouth back up to her chest. She kissed each of her breasts before taking one of Piper's erect nipples into her mouth and began to suck gently.

This earned her another loud moan from Piper. She deepened her touch slightly, pulling on the hardened peak before swirling her tongue around the base of it.

Piper responded to this by arching her back and rubbing her pelvis up against Alex's leg. This turned Alex immediately on as the silkiness of Piper's panties brushed up against her thigh. God, it was taking all her energy to resist furthering this progress. She desperately wanted to taste Piper against her tongue and to have her juices flow down her chin...But she knew there was plenty of time for that. She needed to be patient as she continued to play with Piper's nipple. She knew it wouldn't be too much longer before Piper was begging her to go down on her. She could feel Piper's arousal already as the dampness of her panties continued to brush against her thigh in yearning.

"Do you trust me?" asked Alex as she pushed her glasses up on top of her head and hooked her thumbs underneath the sides of Piper's panties.

The blonde lifted her head and looked over at Alex.

"Yes," she whispered.

A small smirk appeared on Alex's face at this before she began to pull the panties down Piper's hips and thighs, slowly revealing her cunt.

Piper lay there in anticipation, watching as Alex removed her glasses and rested them on her dresser before coming back to the bed. Alex kept her eyes on the blonde as her hands began to roam circles in between her thighs. She knew that Alex was only trying to make her feel comfortable, but all these light touches and caresses were driving her wild. Piper watched Alex through heavy eyes as the brunette's hands traveled up her the curves of her hips, and she nearly closed her eyes as she felt gentle lips press a kiss to her navel.

This was it, she thought as Alex's mouth traveled lower and lower.

Piper tilted her head back as a moan escaped her lips as she felt Alex's tongue on her. She licked at her slowly from back to front, covering her whole cunt with her mouth. Piper found her eyes closing as pleasure washed through her. It had been so long, she thought since she'd felt another's touch on her but her own. Her hips began to rock as Alex deepened her touch and licked at her hard.


	13. Chapter 13

Waves of pleasure washed over Piper as Alex's tongue swirled around her clit.

Her hands dug into the covers of the bed, grasping onto the cool cotton for leverage. The heels of her feet pressed into the mattress as she arched her back, making Alex's touch go deeper. She'd always had a fondness for oral sex, but what Alex was doing with her mouth now to her was something entirely new to her. In a good way of course. Oh, in such a fucking good way...

The blonde moaned and screamed as Alex continued to work her clit, sucking on it hard before licking around it softly. She could feel her orgasm building within her and slowly spreading through her entire body. Her mouth hung open as she tried to steady her breathing. She was trying to pace herself a little. Alex, she knew was only just beginning, but she couldn't stand it.

She was slowly losing it.

She moaned out longer as Alex slipped two fingers into her while her mouth continued to work magic on her clit. The brunette's touch was hard now as she sucked hard on her enlarged clit, and her fingers traced figures eights along the wall of her vagina.

Piper felt her body quiver as her hand flew to the back of Alex's head and gripped her dark locks. She squeezed her eyes further shut as her hips lifted off the surface of the bed and rocked against Alex's mouth.

Her body was buzzing as her orgasm filled her and sent her over the edge. Little bubbles of pleasure burst over her as she screamed out in ecstasy.

"ALEXXX _mmmmfuckKKKK_."

Alex didn't remove herself completely from Piper as she reached her climax. She wasn't just a one round type of girl. Not by any means. She wanted to see how many times she could make Piper cum.

She softened her touch slightly as she looked across the landscape of Piper's body to her face. The blonde's breathing was laboured she noted as her chest heaving up and down in front of her. She licked softly around Piper's clit, lapping up her wetness as her fingers continued to move within her. She pressed a kiss to Piper's inner thigh before nuzzling her face against the now fairly sensitive area.

She heard Piper whimper and moan in response to this, and she waited for a few moments, planting soft kisses along her thighs, moving her fingers slowly against her pulsing walls before starting up again. Alex could feel her own arousal building as tasted Piper on her lips and breathed in the musky scent of her cunt.

She tried to ignore the throb of her own cunt as she began to slowly deepen her touch on the blonde. She curled her fingers slightly as she found that sweet spongy spot. Her ears filled with the sounds of Piper's moans again. She couldn't help but smile at how vocal Piper was being. She didn't expect Piper to be a wallflower, but she didn't expect that she would be so loud either.

"Yes...Oh... _yessss_..."

Piper's hips once again began to rock and shift in response to Alex's movements. Her legs spread further open, allowing Alex to go deeper within her. She forced her eyes open and locked onto Alex whose face was hovering over her navel now.

The brunette grinned at her before dropping a finger to her ass. Two in the pink, one in the stink.

" _Fuck_..."Piper hissed as her hips buckled in response.

It didn't take long before her screams once again filled the stuffy air of the bedroom, and her juices seeped out further.

Alex slowly removed her fingers from the blonde as she came down from her orgasm. She licked her hands clean before kissing her way up, along Piper's torso to her mouth. She nuzzled her neck, pressing light feather-like kisses along her collar bone to where her jaw met with the base of her ear. She licked slightly at this spot, tasting the salty-ness of her sweat.

"Hi," she whispered into her ear.

"Hi," whispered Piper, whose eyes were still closed.

After regaining her breathing, Piper pulled Alex roughly into a kiss. Adrenaline pulsed through her bloodstream as the tip of her tongue outlined Alex's bottom lip before plunging deep inside her mouth. Her hands pressed into the mattress as she threw her body onto Alex's.

She wanted Alex more than ever now after what she had just experienced. She rubbed her lower half up against Alex's thigh, humping her as she continued to circle her tongue in her mouth.

Alex didn't seem to mind her forcefulness.

Oh, no. Alex didn't mind at all.

Alex had one hand cupping the side of Piper's cheek, pulling her mouth further against hers while her other played with her breast. It was unbearably hot in the room as their sweat-coated bodies continued to grind together. However, it only added to the desire they were both feeling.

They stayed like this allowing the passion and pleasure continued to build for a few moments before Piper began to nuzzle the side of Alex's neck. She wanted to take the plunge and return the favour to Alex.

Her nipples were hard as they pressed into Alex's, and she traveled her lips down her neck to her shoulders. She felt Alex's hands slip down her back and begin to explore her lower half.

"I want to taste you," whispered Piper huskily into Alex's ear.

Alex cocked an eyebrow as she looked up at the blonde and met her eye.

"I want to taste you what you taste like," she whispered again before taking the soft flesh of the brunette's earlobe into her mouth and sucking on it.

Alex moaned softly in response to this. She'd very much love for the blonde to taste her, she thought. She allowed her eyes to close as Piper licked and kissed her way down the scope of her neck to her chest. Her hands stiffly rested on Piper's back, slowly rubbing herself against her thigh. Her body was buzzing with pleasure.

Nervous butterflies fluttered in Piper's stomach as she made her way down Alex's body. She'd never gone down on another woman before. She felt the same nerves as she did the first time she gave her first blow job. That of course had been with Larry, so it wasn't that bad. And it wasn't like she didn't feel safe around Alex. She just didn't want her thinking she was a helpless newb or something. She was just afraid that she would somehow do it wrong. However, the blonde tried not to think about that too much now as she turned her attention onto Alex's breasts. She pressed a light kiss between the centre of them before attacking the left one.

She licked around the base of it before moving upwards and covered the entire surface with licks and kisses, teasing Alex before taking the dark erected nipple into her mouth. She sniffed at it slightly, the sweet smelling aroma of marzipan filling her nostrils. Her blue eyes widen slightly as she breathed in the smell of the nipple again. A warm feeling suddenly, filled the pit of her stomach as she smelt the beloved childhood scent. Marzipan had been her favourite candy growing up. Her grandmother always gave her and her brothers marzipan shaped bunnies and other animals as a kid. She loved the almond taste the candy consisted of.

And just smelling the familiar scent of the candy now on Alex's nipples just made her love them even more.

"What's so funny?" asked Alex as she noticed the smirk on Piper's face.

"Nothing," whispered Piper as she met Alex's eye. She hadn't realized she had been smiling.

The couple held each other's eye for a second before Piper once again turned her attention onto the erected nub. She sucked on the sensitive spot hard, batting it back and forth with the tip of her tongue. As she did this, her hand gently cupped and played with Alex's other nipple. Alex moaned in response, encouraging Piper to continue to palm at her breasts while she rocked her body upwards, pressing into the blonde. God, it was hot in here, she thought. Hot in a good way of course, _such_ a good way. Her cunt was pulsing at each tug and pull that the blonde did.

Piper brushed her hair out of her face and away from the back of her neck which was sweating before turning to Alex's other nipple and taking it into her mouth. She really should put the floor fan on, she thought. Just to circulate the air in the room a bit. However, she couldn't tear herself away from Alex's body. She licked and flicked the hardened peak, giving it the same treatment as she did the other one.

Alex watched Piper with darkened lustful eyes as she left her breasts and began to move down the flatness of her torso. Her hands brushed up against the tops of Alex's thighs, gently roaming circles. The two women never broke eye contact as Piper swirled the tip of her tongue into the shallow depth of Alex's bellybutton while her hands began to pull at the brunette's panties.

Alex watched Piper consciously as she slowly removed the panties and discarded them to the floor. Noticing her watching her, Piper gave her a small smile.

"Will you guide me?" asked Piper in a low whisper. Her tone in any other context would have come off childlike. However, it came off seductive in Alex's ears.

The brunette grinned as she rose herself up onto her elbows and nodded her head at Piper.

"Give me your hand," she beckoned as she sat up and reached for Piper's wrist.

Piper immediately did what she was told and gave Alex her hand. Her eyes were hot on her face as she guided her hand towards her cunt.

"Like this," whispered Alex guiding Piper's fingers against her folds. The two stared deeply at each other as Piper's fingers rubbed slowly at Alex, following her lead. No one spoke a word after this as the blonde deepened her touch and the heat in the room built.

Alex's mouth hung open slightly as she located her clit and a warmth filled her stomach.

"Like this..." whispered Piper as she began to take the lead and rubbed the pads of her fingers hard against Alex's clit. She was no longer nervous as she watched Alex slowly lose her control. The brunette's hand now hung limply around her wrist as she took over the reins.

"Fuck, _yes_!" hissed Alex as pleasure erupted through her core and spread. She rocked her hips in response to Piper's touch.

Leaning forward, Piper crashed her mouth against Alex's as her hand continued to work the wet slickness of her cunt. She kissed her roughly, pulling on her bottom lip with her teeth before her tongue plunged into the warm depths of her mouth. Alex kissed her back with the same forcefulness.

Letting go of Piper's wrist, Alex's hands flew to Piper's breasts, pulling on her taut nipples as her hips continued to flew against Piper's hand. She could feel her orgasm building as each second passed.

"Fuck!" she moaned again against Piper's lips.

"Yeah, you like that," whispered Piper with a smile. She opened her eyes and studied Alex.

" _Fuck, yesss_..." replied Alex before pressing her mouth hard against Piper's neck. She sucked hard on the skin, the edge of her teeth grazing it slightly. Her hips lifted off the bed and thrust against the blonde's hand. Her body was buzzing as waves of pleasure continued to wash through her.

Piper's fingers continued to work over Alex's clit before she moved down to her opening. She slid two fingers into the hot pulsing vagina as her thumb continued to work at the clit. Piper thought she would be lost on what to do, but she was finding it easier than she first thought it would be. She was no expert or anything, but she did know the general hot spots to hit. She could tell that Alex was on the verge of coming as her walls pulsed against her digits and the heavy breathing of the brunette against her neck.

And cum she did a few moments later as her body exploded. Alex dug her teeth into Piper's collarbone as she rode out her orgasm. She hadn't been expecting to come so quickly or so powerfully with Piper the first time.

Piper pressed a kiss to the top of Alex's forehead as she slowly removed her fingers from her.

"I still want to taste you," whispered Piper as she brought her coated fingers up to her mouth and licked them. She smiled as she noticed Alex's heavy eyes on her.

The couple shared a soft kiss as Alex pulled Piper once again on top of her.

The kiss was tender and softer this time as it was just their lips pressing into each other. They seemed to stay in this position for a while, gently kissing and touching as they came down from their previous activities.

A mix of emotions was coursing through both of them. They were both feeling an extreme attraction to one another, one that went much deeper than just physical. Over the past two weeks, they both knew they liked the other. And even now it was still extremely early in their relationship, they both felt that this was a turning point for them.

"I still want to taste how you taste," came Piper's voice hot in Alex's ear as she pulled away from the kiss.

Alex just looked at the blonde intensely before she began to make her way down to her cunt once again. She wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to go down on her. The brunette liked to be in control of most things, but that didn't mean she didn't like to get some either. Her green eyes followed Piper as the blonde kissed her navel before positioning herself between her wide open legs.

Piper smiled at Alex brushing her long hair off the back of her sweaty neck. She hovered there for a second over Alex's cunt before going down on her. Her hands rested on the underside of Alex's thighs as her mouth began in earnest. Her movements were a little timid at first as she licked slowly at Alex's sex.

"That's it," encouraged Alex as she watched Piper from between her thighs. " _Ohh_...baby...right _there_..." She was being a little more vocal then she usually was, but she wanted Piper to continue with what she was doing. Her moans continued to fill the room as she tilted her head back against the pillows and began to move her hips into Piper's mouth.

Piper swirled her tongue slowly around Alex's clit, drawing figure eights with the tip before taking it fully into her mouth. She sucked on the hot pulsing spot hard before licking at it again. She repeated this movement over and over again as it got good results from the brunette. She kept her eyes focused on Alex, watching as she slowly lost control. As she continued to lick and suck at Alex, boxing the clit back and forth with her tongue, she felt Alex's hand come down on the back of her head.

Alex intertwined her fingers around a few locks of Piper's hair, pulling on them slightly before pushing down with the palm of her hand, immediately deepening her touch. She grunted as she continued to move her body against Piper's mouth. Feeling the heat of her mouth against her throbbing sex felt so damn good. Again, she couldn't help but be taken aback that this was Piper's first time going down on someone.

Her screams and moans soon filled the humid air of the room as she reached her climax.

"Did I do good?" asked Piper as she lifted her head and licked her lips.

"You did very good," whispered Alex as she came down from her orgasm, her eyes half closed as she looked over at Piper.

"Do I get an A for effort?" asked Piper playfully as she came to lie down beside the brunette.

Alex turned onto her side to face the blonde at this. "You get an A plus plus," she replied, smiling lazily.

"Good," whispered Piper with a grin. "I've always been a straight A student."

"I bet you have," replied Alex as she cupped the side of Piper's face before pulling her into a kiss.

* * *

"Do you mind if I smoke?" asked Alex as she sat up in the bed. It was a little later now in the night. They had just finished yet another round of adult wrestling with each other. The brunette was craving a cigarette but didn't want to overstep.

Piper who was busy moving around the room in the dark, plugging in the floor fan, looked over at Alex. "Sure," she shrugged. She didn't mind at all if she smoked.

As the cool breeze from the fan suddenly filled the room, Piper turned on the bedside lamp. She climbed back into the bed, watching as Alex picked up her jeans from the floor and produced a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo.

"I don't have a proper ashtray, but you can use this..." spoke Piper as she reached for the leftover coffee mug on the bedside table and handed to Alex, who had just come back onto the bed.

"Are you sure you're okay with me smoking?" asked Alex once again. "I can go outside..."

"No. No. It's fine. I'm not going to make you fucking go outside, Alex," reassured Piper with a laugh. "I'm used to smoke. My grandmother smokes like a chimney whenever she comes to stay with my parents. Plus I kinda actually like the smell."

"Okay," replied Alex as she slipped her glasses back onto her nose and smiled at Piper.

A comforting silence fell between the couple as Piper watched as Alex placed a cigarette into her mouth and lit it. She couldn't help but admire how sexy the brunette looked sitting naked on her bed with a cigarette dangling from her mouth. She looked like one of those old Hollywood movie stars as she elegantly blew a ring of smoke from her lips. Piper could feel herself getting turned on again as the musky scent of sex and smoke filled her nostrils.

Alex provocatively raised an eyebrow at noticing Piper's heavy gaze on her.

"Can I try?" asked Piper.

"I thought you didn't smoke," stated Alex as she blew a ring of smoke from her mouth and smirked at the blonde.

"Maybe...I want to start..." replied Piper, staring Alex down for a second.

Alex just chuckled at this before carefully handing over the cigarette to Piper.

The blonde knew she was at risk at making herself look like a complete fool in front of Alex, but she was willingly ready to take that risk as she nervously brought the filter end of the cigarette up to her lips. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she closed her eyes and took a drag. She could feel her lungs burn slightly as they began to fill quickly with smoke. She waited a second before removing the cigarette and blowing a puff of smoke out. It didn't come out as glamorous as Alex had done it, but she was just happy she hadn't choked like she had all those years ago back in Polly's bathroom.

The couple didn't say anything as they continued to share the cigarette back and forth before finishing it.

"I like watching you smoke," whispered Alex as she extinguished the cigarette into the mug and placed it back onto the bedside table. Her eyes gleamed as they looked on at Piper. "It's hot," her lips brushed against the blonde's ear as she pulled her towards her.

Piper just sighed in pleasure as Alex began to nuzzle the side of her neck.

* * *

"What does this one mean?" asked Piper with interest as her finger traced the outline of the rose tattoo on Alex's right arm.

"It's just roses," stated Alex with a shrug. "It doesn't really have an exact meaning to it. I just like roses."

Piper nodded her head at this, satisfied with Alex's answer. It was a little later as the couple snuggled together in bed. Alex was having another cigarette as Piper was asking about the ink on her body. She'd already learned that the tribal band she had tattooed on her right wrist had been her first one. It didn't mean anything really. The brunette had just thought it was a good choice at the time. She had been seventeen.

"And what about the pin-up?" asked Piper as she moved her hand down Alex's arm.

"I told you. I like pin-up girls," Alex blew a ring of smoke from her lips before passing it to Piper. "They're hot."

"Do you only get things you like tattooed on your body?" asked Piper as she took the cigarette between her fingers and looked at Alex before taking a drag.

"Pretty much," grinned Alex as she pulled Piper closer to her. "Maybe if you're lucky, I'll get you tattooed on me..."

Piper just rolled her eyes at Alex's joke, blowing a ring of smoke from her lips before taking another drag. If her teenage self could see herself now, she would surely flip. Not only had she just had the most amazing sex of her life, but she was smoking like a pro too. She loved how badass she was becoming.

"What are you smiling at, missy?" teased Alex as she took the cigarette from the blonde and noticed the sudden grin on her face.

"Nothing," shrugged Piper as she snuggled up closer to Alex. "I'm just happy."

"I'm happy too, kid," whispered Alex, pressing a kiss to Piper's temple before finishing off the cigarette.

Piper watched as the smoke came out of Alex's mouth before she extinguished the butt of the cigarette into the mug. "So what does the tattoo of the salt shaker mean?" asked Piper. "Please don't tell me it's because you just like fucking salt."

Alex couldn't help but let out a raspy chuckle in amusement. Taking off her glasses, she placed them onto the bedside table before turning to face Piper. "I do like salt," she whispered as she pulled Piper down onto the pillows with her. "But that's not why I got it. It's for luck. You know, like throwing salt over your left shoulder to get rid of bad luck."

"Doesn't the act of throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder come from the legend that the devil is always standing behind you, and throwing salt in his eye distracts him from causing trouble?" asked Piper with curiosity. She didn't think that Alex was the religious type. When she asked about the cross in her apartment, Alex had said it belonged to her roommate.

"Hell if I fucking know!" laughed Alex, leaning in and kissing the corner of Piper's mouth. "It's just something that both my grandma and mom always do when someone spilled salt. I just like the act of it warning off bad luck."

Alex was only telling Piper half the truth of why she got the tattoo. Yes, the throwing of salt over her shoulder was something that her grandma and mom believed in, but that wasn't the full reason for the tattoo. She'd yet to tell the blonde about her brush with the law and her brief addiction to heroin. She hadn't told Piper that was how she'd really met Nicky and Big Boo, through drugs. She wasn't proud of her past and didn't want Piper to know about it. She rarely told anyone about it. She'd gotten the tattoo right after she had gotten out of rehab and started a twelve-step program. It was supposed to symbolize a new start in her life and keep the bad away. So far it was doing its job. She'd been clean for almost four years now, just as long as she'd been working at Coyote.

Piper opened her mouth to say something at this, but before she could a deep yawn escaped her lips.

"Aw, looks like someone tired themselves out," teased Alex.

Piper hit Alex playfully on the arm at this.

"I think it's sleepy time," whispered Alex again as she continued to look at Piper. It was late, and she was a little tired herself, she thought. Leaning forward, she kissed Piper softly on the lips.

Piper didn't want to go to sleep just yet, but she was exhausted. Pulling away from the kiss, her eyes searched Alex's face. She wondered if Alex was a cuddler or not.

The couple didn't say anything for a moment before Alex was kissing her again.

"I want you to be my little spoon," whispered Alex in between kisses, her hands gently caressing Piper's hipbone underneath the covers of the bed.

Piper couldn't help but smile slightly at hearing this. Out of all the things that Alex had said to her ever, this was probably her favourite by far. She kissed the brunette roughly back before pulling away.

"I would like that," replied the blonde before turning onto her other side, pressing her back to Alex's front. She felt Alex's lips immediately on the back of her neck as she snaked her leg over her body, holding her close.

"Good night, kid."

"Good night."


	14. Chapter 14

"So what, you're gay now?"

"Polly," hissed Piper into the phone. "I told you. Someone just doesn't turn gay. You fall somewhere on a spectrum like a Kinsey scale."

"Whatever," replied Polly on the other end of the phone with a heavy sigh. "I still think it's out of the blue for you to be gay or having sexual relations with some hot, tall girl or whatever...Like, have you always had feelings for girls? It just seems so fucking random to me..."

Piper hated how her friend could not just accept her decision to be in a same-sex relationship with Alex. This was not the first time that Polly was questioning her on the matter. "I dunno," whispered Piper honestly as she squeezed the phone between her shoulder and ear. "I can't give you a definite answer on that, Pols." She couldn't even give herself a definite answer. She guessed she always felt some attraction to the same-sex in a way, but just didn't register until now.

"I just like Alex and want to be with her. Plain and simple, really," spoke Piper as she reached for the kettle and poured hot water into the two mugs set out in front of her on the counter.

"I know. I know," responded Polly. "It just feels like you're changing. Like since you moved to the City or not even the City...since you went to Smith...I just don't know you anymore it seems. First with the fucking artist thing to now becoming lesbian..."

Piper felt a twist of anger in the pit of her stomach, hearing this. Again, this was not the first time that her best friend was accusing her of changing. She just hated how Polly kept on bringing it up. She didn't think it was a bad thing that she was changing from the yuppy good girl she had been in high school to her own independent woman. Maybe she wasn't changing at all but just becoming the person she was always supposed to be. Pushing down her sudden anger, Piper tried to reassure her friend that it wasn't a bad thing like she was making it out to be.

"Polly, no matter who I decide to fuck and what I choose to do with my life, you'll always be my best friend. Who else am I going to call in the middle of the night to rant about my mother with? Or call the next morning, gossiping about the amazing night of sex I just had?" A grin spread across her features as a sudden flash of last night's activities enter her mind.

"I came like seven times last night," whispered Piper excitably into the phone. That was the reason she had called Polly that morning, to brag about her amazing night of hot, passionate sex. She could practically see Polly wrinkling her nose at hearing this. Polly wasn't a prude exactly when it came to sex, but she knew her friend wouldn't be too keen on hearing the detailed descriptions of Alex's pussy.

"That's a little obsessive ," replied Polly to this news. "Like twice I can understand but seven times...come on, Pipes. That's like borderline sex addict."

Piper groaned into the phone as she felt her anger return once again. "Fuck Polly! Can't you fucking just be happy for me?" She didn't mean to snap, but she was tired of her best friend raining on her parade.

"I am happy for you that you found someone..." stated Polly.

"Whatever," sighed Piper into the phone. "I gotta go."

Piper then quickly hung up the phone before continuing to make the coffees. "Bitch," she cursed underneath her breath as she stirred the coffee before moving to the fridge and reaching for the milk. She poured a splash of milk into one of the mugs before returning the carton back to the fridge. She dumped a spoonful of sugar into the mug as she tried to put the conversation with her friend behind her. She knew that Polly would come around eventually. She would have to. Just like she had when she was dating that hipster guy, Mark. It would all be different soon, she thought. Once Polly met Alex and saw how happy she made her, Polly's view would change. Polly was supposed to be coming down next week to visit anyway. She was primarily coming down to do wedding stuff like wedding dress shopping, but Piper was hoping to squeeze in a brief meeting between Alex and her best friend.

She could feel her anger fading slightly like a bruise as she lifted the steamy mugs of coffee from the counter and began to make her way into the bedroom.

Piper had been up for a few hours now as she allowed Alex to sleep in. She had awoken just before seven, and it was now past ten. She'd cleaned up her apartment a bit so that it didn't look like such a complete mess. She could feel butterflies of nerves begin to flutter as she slowly pushed open the door and noted Alex's sleeping form. God, she couldn't believe that they'd slept together last night. She hovered by the door for a second before making her way further into the room.

Her movements were quiet and slow as she walked over to the side of the bed and placed both mugs down onto the bedside table. A part of her wanted to wake up the brunette, but another part of her felt different. Alex just looked so damn cute as she slept, a trail of drool running down her chin.

Leaning forward, the blonde decided to wake up Alex with a little thrill of sorts. She brushed Alex's hair off of her face as she began to plant a trail of wet kisses along her jaw line. She felt Alex slowly stir from her slumber, but she didn't stop kissing her.

"Mmmmm," moaned Alex in her sleep. She could feel herself waking up slowly, but she made no attempt to open her eyes.

"Come on, sleepy," whispered Piper playfully between kisses. "Time to get up for school."

"School?!" murmured Alex as she rolled onto her back and looked up at Piper. "I haven't been to fucking school in like seven years..." She cocked an eyebrow as she reached out for the blonde, pulling her down on top of her.

"Yep...school," Piper grinned at Alex as she stretched her legs against her. "You have to go to school..." Her voice trailed off as Alex suddenly pulled her into a kiss.

"I'll teach you a thing or two about school," whispered Alex between kisses. Her hands traveled down Piper's back, immediately slipping underneath the baggy shirt she was wearing. Her exhaustion was suddenly gone as her legs spread open underneath the covers, and she began to rubbed herself against Piper's thigh.

The coffees lay abandoned as they began to get lost in each other.

Their tongues swirled around each other's as their bodies began to grind through the covers.

"Take it off," whispered Alex, her breath hot against Piper's ear as she tugged on the shirt.

Piper grinned cheekily down at Alex as she sat back on her heels and removed the shirt she had thrown on earlier. She was just left now in white cotton panties. An idea flashed across her mind as she spread her legs slightly open, feeling Alex's hot eyes on her. She licked her lips slowly, covering them in wetness as her hand went to her cunt. She rubbed herself through the material of the panties. She moaned with satisfaction as a wave of pleasure filled her stomach. Her hips began to rock as her hand slightly picked up pace.

Her eyes never left Alex's face as she touched herself. She could tell by the look on Alex's face that it was taking all her might not to intervene. Spreading her legs open a little further, she pushed her panties to the side and slipped two fingers into herself. Her wetness coated her fingers as her walls pulsed around them.

Piper moaned again as the pleasure built. She was no longer looking at Alex as she closed her eyes and got lost in her own touch. The blonde wasn't ashamed about her need to get herself off.

And she was letting Alex in on this little secret.

Alex's eyes were dark with lust at the little show that Piper was putting on for her. It was taking all her might not to interrupt and take over. She bit the inside of her cheek as she heard the wetness of Piper's fingers smacking against her folds as they moved rapidly in and out of her. How she envied those fingers. Her eyes roamed up and down the blonde's body, from the slight jiggling of those perky tits as they bounced with each thrust of her hips to the main scene of those coated fingers disappearing and reappearing from pinkness.

"I'm cumming," announced Piper as she titled her head back. "I'm cumming! AH! I'm _cummINNGG_!" She ended on a high note as the pads of her fingers rubbed roughly at the spongey area of her g-spot. Her body quivered before she couldn't take it any longer.

Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to catch her breath. She kept her eyes closed for a second as she gently moved her fingers from her throbbing slickness and sank onto her heels.

"I thought I was the teacher..." whispered Alex as she reached out for Piper's hand and brought her sticky fingers up to her mouth. Piper watched her through heavy eyes as the brunette sniffed at her knuckles before licking at them.

"I was just showing you what I learned," replied Piper as she played along with Alex's game. Their faces were just inches apart now as Piper straddled Alex's hips. Alex, who was still sucking on Piper's fingers, watched her with dark eyes.

"There are still a few things you need to learn," her voice came out even raspier than usual as she suddenly let go of Piper's hand and pressed her mouth hard against hers.

The kiss deepened in the matter of seconds as Alex once again took control of the situation. She forced her tongue into the warm depths of Piper's mouth as her hands traveled down her back and cupped toned ass cheeks. She made sure to avoid the sensitive area of Piper's cunt for a little while.

Piper moaned into Alex's mouth, feeling hands pull roughly at her underwear, exposing her ass cheeks inch by inch. The cold breeze from the fan tickled her still throbbing sex, making her body quiver.

"Smack it!" murmured Piper in between kisses. "Smack it!" she repeated, letting the brunette know she was being serious.

Alex grinned into the kiss at this demand. "Naughty girl," she whispered as she nuzzled her face into the side of Piper's neck, giving her ass cheeks a rough squeeze again.

She sucked hard on the nape of Piper's neck as she lifted her right hand and gave Piper's ass a smack.

"Again!" moaned Piper.

Alex didn't need to be told twice this time as she gladly repeated the action. The sound of flesh hitting flesh ringing through the room.

They stayed like this for a few moments before Alex was sinking down her entire length into the pillows and motioned for Piper to come close. The blonde was a little unsure of what Alex wanted her to do but quickly caught on as hands pushed the small of her back forward. Piper's cunt hung over Alex's face like a prize. Its bare pinkness glistened in the morning light of the room.

Alex licked her lips before tilting her head and reaching for her prize with her lips.

Piper's hands immediately gripped onto the iron rod of the bed as she felt Alex's wicked tongue working between her thighs. Her eyes instantly closed as a moan escaped from the back of her throat. Her panties hung awkwardly off her legs, but she didn't care. Her hands gripped hard onto the rod as a wave of pleasure erupted through her.

Alex licked hard at Piper's pulsing clit in heavy, broad strokes as her hands dug into the soft flesh of her ass cheeks. Her pinkie finger brushed lightly up against the blonde's asshole, gently teasing her.

Piper yelped and moaned loudly in response to this. The act had been unexpected but welcomed all the same. She sank herself lower as best as she could with her panties straining a little as hips began to rock along to Alex's strong licks on her cunt.

"OH...GOD...OHHH," she moaned as Alex deepened her touch. Piper's mouth hung open as she rode out her orgasm. She couldn't remember ever cumming so quickly as she was currently. "OH...YESS...HARDERRR...FUCKK!"

Alex sucked on Piper's clit, giving her one last jolt of pleasure before kissing the inside of her thigh.

Piper banged her palm against the wall as waves of pleasure continued to course through her like aftershocks. She could feel her pulse racing as she slowly removed herself from on top of Alex and fell to the side. She didn't dare to look at Alex just yet as she tried to slowly regain control of her body.

Alex licked Piper's juices off of her lips and chin, enjoying the taste. She pushed her hair to the side as she turned to face Piper.

"I made you coffee," murmured the blonde as she locked eyes with Alex. That was all that Piper could say at the moment as she tried to get her body to settle down. "It's black...I remembered..."

* * *

"Aw, shit! Looked who showed up!" cried out Nicky as Alex entered the bar.

Alex just looked questionably at the shorter woman as she came towards her. "Why wouldn't I show up?" she asked. She rarely phoned in sick for work, and Nicky knew this. She had no reason not to show up.

"I dunno...I just thought you might play hooky and spend some extra time with Chapman!" Nicky wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Alex as her signature grin spread across her features.

Alex just rolled her eyes at her friend as she came around the side of the bar. She knew that Nicky knew that she and Piper had finally slept together last night. They hadn't exactly broadcast it, but they had left Nicky's house fairly quickly. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"Y'know, since she isn't working tonight," continued Nicky as she leaned onto the surface of the bar to look deviously at Alex.

Alex just shrugged her shoulders as she looked away from the bushy-haired blonde and around the room, making sure they were alone.

"Don't worry, Red's not here," stated Nicky as if reading Alex's thoughts. "Come on, Vause, spill...How many times did she cum? And don't tell me you didn't fucking count because I know you fucking did!" Back when they had lived together in Harlem, they would sometimes have a competition between them on how many times they could make whatever girl they were seeing at the time cum the most and used to trade these facts over breakfast like sport scores.

A shit-eating grin spread across Alex's face at this. "Do you want just last night or this morning too?"

"Oh! A double feature!" Nicky nodded intriguingly at Alex. "Nice!"

Alex couldn't help but smile smugly at this. She was very impressed with herself and her results with Piper last night. She knew she sounded like a jackass at the moment, but she couldn't help but take pride with how many times Piper had screamed out her name last night.

"Come on Vause, spill! How many times did blondie cum last night... _and_ this morning?"

"Seven last night," bragged Alex as she leaned her tall frame onto the bar. "Three this morning." And that wasn't even counting Piper's little masturbating show.

"Only ten times...that's it?!" stated Nicky as she straightened her back on the bar stool. "I've seen better..."

The brunette cocked an eyebrow at the other woman. "Fuck you!" Alex pretended to be mad, but she knew that Nicky was only messing with her. "Ten is a good number, and you fucking know it!"

"I dunno...ten's pretty average..." replied Nicky. "At least tell me that she squirted, Vause."

Alex poked her tongue into the side of her cheek and shook her head in disbelief at Nicky. "Fuck you!" she spoke again before walking away and headed into the back to change.

She didn't care what Nicky thought; she was happy with how things had turned out last night. She hadn't been expecting Piper to be so open... She never would've guessed she'd be on the receiving end of things. She thought she would've had to take baby steps with Piper before she felt comfortable enough to go down on her.

However, Piper, as it turned out, liked herself some pussy.


	15. Chapter 15

Piper could feel Alex's eyes on as she moved around the bar.

She had promised herself to try not to look at her while they were at work, but it was impossible not to. Her eyes were like smouldering rays burning into her skin. She was surprised no one had brought up the sexual tension between them because she was currently feeling it coat her like humidity.

This was her first time back at work after the other night with Alex. They had talked and texted back and forth since then, but they hadn't really gotten to spend any time together since Alex had left Piper's apartment yesterday afternoon. And of course they couldn't do anything now since they were at work, which was turning out to be torture. She'd practically groaned when she had seen Alex working behind the bar with her hair once again swept up in that retro 40s style she had worn that one time while modeling. She definitely had to look up these pin-up models that Alex so clearly loved so much. She was aware of the historical art trend and had seen a smidgen of it while studying at Smith, but she really needed to do a good Google search on them... An idea began coming to life in her mind briefly as she handed a table their bill.

No, she couldn't, she thought. Or could she? She would have to find out first if Alex was into that sort of thing...costumes and such before figuring out if she could pull this off...

She tried a bit futilely to banish all thoughts of playing dress up in the bedroom as she smiled broadly and turned to serve a new table where a couple had just taken a seat. God, she didn't know how she would make it through the rest of her shift, she was so fucking wired up at the moment. She didn't remember ever craving sex so badly before she did at this moment, knowing that Alex was in the room, even sensing her, but not being able to have her. It was driving her mad with desire.

Alex had definitely opened something inside of her that she hadn't realized was there.

She tried to hide the smile on her face as she made her way to the bar with the couple's drink order. She was trying to play it cool like Alex had told her to, but despite her best efforts, locking eyes with the brunette, she just turned into lovesick putty. She stood there for a second, just smiling like an idiot.

"What are you so happy about, college?" asked Tricia as she pushed her way to the edge of the bar, taking note of the grin on the taller blonde's face. The younger woman eyed her skeptically before looking over at Alex, who just glared at her coldly.

"I heard you guys were fucking," stated Tricia openly, not caring that Red was in earshot. "I didn't think you swayed that way, college. I thought for sure you were straight as hell."

The smile faded from Piper's face as she turned her attention onto the smug-faced girl beside her. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this. As she opened her mouth, Alex interrupted.

"Don't fucking answer her," hissed Alex in a low whisper as she quickly caught Piper's eye. She didn't care what Tricia knew or didn't know about her and Piper, but she sure as shit cared if she blabbered in front of Red.

"Wow! What's your fucking problem?" Tricia might have been shorter than Alex, but she sure wasn't afraid of her. "What, are you fucking speaking for college now? She can't talk for herself now that she's licking your pussy?"

Alex narrowed her green eyes at Tricia and her bleached-blonde cornrows. She clenched her hands into fists as she felt rage boil through her. She normally took Tricia's sly remarks, but what she had just said really pushed her the wrong way. She breathed harshly through her nose, trying not to do something stupid. If she wasn't at work, she would surely be teaching this little shit a thing or two. But she was a work, so she had to remain professional as much as that pained her.

Piper bit the inside of her cheek nervously as she looked between Tricia and Alex. The tension between the two women was thick as a blanket. It scared her a little thinking what Alex might do. This was the first time she was seeing the woman in a temper.

"What's goin' on here?" came a very familiarly-accented, stern voice from behind them. "I don't pay you to stand around chit-chatting like you're in the Hamptons!"

Both Piper and Tricia turned at once to come face-to-face with a sharp-eyed Red. The Russian woman didn't look too happy at the moment, pushing her glasses off of her face and letting them dangle from the braided purple cord from her neck as her hazel eyes glared between all three of them.

"Now get back to work!" boomed Red before sliding her glasses back onto her nose and walking briskly away from the three women.

Tricia just murmured something under her breath before storming away from the bar.

Alex waited until she was out of earshot before lowering her gaze onto Piper. "You okay?" she asked as she adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

Piper teased her hand through her ponytail as she nodded her head in reply. "Yeah..."

The two women studied each other for a moment, Alex desperately wanting to reach out and kiss Piper softly on the lips but barely resisting the urge. She slowly calmed herself, and her face became softer as she continued to look at the blonde.

"So what can I get for you?" she asked as a small smile curved her mouth.

Piper looked at Alex in confusion for a second before it dawned on her that she still hadn't filled her table's drink order. The whole thing with Tricia had made her completely forget why she had come to the bar in the first place.

"Oh! Oh right!" she murmured as she pulled her notebook out of the little black apron she wore around her waist.

Alex's eyes gleamed with amusement as she watched Piper fumble with the little pad of paper in her hands. She couldn't help but think how damn cute she was when she was flustered like she was now.

Piper barely noticed Alex's look as she read off her list of drinks. She was too absorbed in her task to see how the brunette was grinning from ear-to-ear in amusement.

"What?" asked Piper as she snapped her head up and finally took notice of Alex's eyes on her.

"Nothin'!" murmured Alex through a toothy smile.

She shifted her eyes slightly around the room, making sure no one was watching them before leaning into the bar and whispering into Piper's ear. Piper couldn't help but giggle slightly as the warmth of Alex's breath tickled her neck. She felt her pulse pick up as Alex continued to whisper in her ear. She could feel herself begin to grin like a complete idiot again.

Pulling away, Alex caught Piper's eye and winked at her before turning away and began to make the drinks.

* * *

"So, you and Vause, huh?" Nicky drawled with a knowing look on her face.

Piper could feel her cheeks blush slightly underneath Nicky's dark eyes. The bar had just closed its doors for the night, and Nicky was helping her wipe down the tables. "Yeah, me and Vause," whispered Piper as she looked briefly over to where Alex was counting a wad of bills.

"What did she say about me?" asked the blonde suddenly as she looked back to Nicky, who was smirking. Piper knew that Nicky was Alex's best friend, and they probably told each other everything, just like she and Polly had at one point in their relationship. The blond didn't want to sound like a love-sick teenager obsessing over her crush, but she had to know. Especially when she remembered what Lorna had said the other night.

Nicky couldn't help but laugh a little at Piper at this. "What did she say about you?" repeated the shorter woman as she studied the blonde's face at the moment.

"Yeah...did she tell you anything..." Piper felt childish asking, but she couldn't get over the strong need to know.

"Like how good you were in the sack?"

"No. No. No," hissed Piper. "Just about...ugh! Never mind. Forget I even asked you anything." She spoke quickly as she walked away from the table and began to clean another one. She realized she was being so stupid at the moment. What had she expected Nicky to tell her? That Alex loved her!? Piper laughed scornfully at her stupid paranoia.

"Oh, no," stated Nicky as she came up beside Piper. "You can't walk away that easy from me now, Chapman. You asked the question. I can't just magically forget!" She grinned at Piper as she shook her dirty-blonde mane out of her face.

Piper didn't reply right away as she slapped her wet towel against the surface of the table and began to wipe it down. She could feel Nicky's eyes on her, but she tried not to look up. She didn't want to hear what the smirking woman was going to say, even though she had been the one to ask.

"She said you were a squirter!"

Piper snapped her head up and just glared at the other woman at this. She didn't know how to respond to this exactly. Her mouth hung open as her mind began to go over the events of the other night. She hadn't squirted. Had she? She never had before in her life...And Alex hadn't mentioned anything?

"No, I'm not!" she murmured as she realized that Nicky was messing with her. Nicky's booming laughter reaching her ears in response.

"For a second, I actually thought you were going to tell me you were! You should have seen your fucking face, Chapman! It was classic!" laughed Nicky as she tried to compose herself, her dark brown eyes gleaming with amusement at Piper.

"Look, Vause didn't say anything about you," she spoke after a moment had passed. She knew that Piper wanted details as to what Alex might have said about her, but when it came to the blonde, Alex was a closed book. Sure, she told her some silly, inconsequential things like how much she came and little things like that. But when it came to deeper, personal stuff, Alex hadn't spilled any of the blonde's secrets.

The blonde didn't say anything as she looked away from Nicky and once again glanced over at Alex. She suddenly felt foolish again for thinking that Alex would say anything bad about her to Nicky.

* * *

The cool night air brushed against Piper's skin as she stepped out of the bar, followed by Nicky and Alex.

Alex smiled at her as she closed the space between them. The brunette didn't care that Nicky was with them as she deftly wrapped her arms around Piper's body and kissed her deeply.

Piper stood there frozen for a second, caught off guard by Alex's sudden forcefulness. She could tell that she'd been holding that in all night. The blonde closed her eyes and melted into the soft velvet feel of Alex's tongue against her own. All her worries from earlier just disappeared as she responded to the kiss.

Neither seemed to care that Nicky was just a few feet away, watching them.

"Aw, well, aren't you guys cute?" commented the brassy woman with a grin as the couple slowly pulled away.

Alex didn't care as she slid her arm back securely around Piper's waist, holding her close as she looked on at her friend. Nicky could mock her all she wanted at this point. She was fucking happy, and she didn't care about hiding it right now.

"Well, I would love to stay and continue to observe this cuteness, but I must be getting home to my own cutie!" continued Nicky as she looked between the couple. She swirled her keys to the bar around her finger before pocketing them.

"Say hi to Lorna for me," said Piper as she leaned comfortably into Alex. She had thought she'd be nervous showing affection towards Alex while others were around, but she found that she wasn't at all. This felt so natural, having Alex's arm snugly around her frame, holding her like all her past boyfriends had.

"Will do. Will do," replied Nicky with a grin. "You guys have a good night now."

"Oh, you bet we will," replied Alex with a devilish grin as she caught Piper's eye and winked.

"Alex!" cried Piper turning to look at the brunette in astonishment. She pretended to be mad by hitting Alex playfully on the arm, but she couldn't mask the quirk of a smile on her face.

"You're a very violent girl!" Alex teased the blonde as she took her hand and laced their fingers together. "Always hitting..." Her voice trailed off huskily as she leaned in and tried to kiss Piper.

"You deserve it!" laughed Piper as she tried to push the brunette away. "ALEX! Stop it!" her laughter rang out as Alex tightened her grip around her waist and slipped her hand under and up her shirt. "STOP IT!" The blonde tilted her head back, a loud bubble of laughter erupting from the back of her throat as Alex brushed the pads of her fingers along the ridges of her ribcage.

Alex let out a throaty chuckle as she continued to tickle Piper. The couple had forgotten about Nicky as their attention once again became absorbed into one another. They smiled deeply at each other as Alex slid her hand down the span of Piper's back, leaving it there before kissing her tenderly.

"Good night, you two!" called out Nicky as she began to walk slowly away from the couple.

"Good night!" cried out Alex over her shoulder before pressing Piper closer against her. She smiled as Piper leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Take... Me...Home," murmured the blonde in between kisses. She was practically hanging off of Alex by the neck as she wrapped her arms further around her and stood on her toes.

"Oh...I will!" Alex kissed Piper passionately on the mouth before suddenly lifting the blonde up into her arms. Piper practically squealed as Alex threw her over her shoulder and began leading her down the street.

The brunette didn't lead Piper home like she asked her to. Well, she led her home but not to Piper's home; instead, she brought them to her home. Alex's roommate, Leanne, was away on one of her mission trips, so they had the apartment all to themselves.

The two women smiled sheepishly at each other as they entered the quiet apartment. Alex leaned forward and kissed Piper softly on the lips as she closed the door. "Do you want something to eat...or drink...?" her voice trailed off as Piper forced her tongue into the depths of her mouth.

"I want you," stated Piper as she pulled suddenly away and looked at Alex.

Alex didn't need any more convincing as she pressed Piper against the wall and kissed her roughly on the lips. Her hands grasped at her shirt, immediately pulling it off of the blonde's body.

Piper moaned into the kiss at feeling the heat of Alex's body awash against her sudden bare flesh. God, this was what she had been waiting for all night. The kiss was intoxicating to say the least. She kissed Alex back hard as her hands flew to the back of the brunette's head. She tangled Alex's dark locks through her fingers, pulling on them slightly. She could feel herself getting aroused as the soft worn material of Alex's jeans slid up against the bare skin of her thigh and parted open her legs.

They stayed like this for a few moments before Alex lead Piper to her bedroom.


	16. Chapter 16

"So you're okay with meeting Polly?" asked Piper shyly as she fidgeted with the backing of her earring.

A curl of a smile appeared on Alex's face at this, "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" The brunette cocked an eyebrow as she continued to study the blonde.

"I dunno," shrugged Piper. Who was now feeling stupid for bringing it up. The blonde had told Alex a few days ago that her best friend was coming into the City for a visit and that she wanted her to meet her. She knew it seemed silly to worry that she was crossing some sort of line by having her best friend meet her girlfriend...sort of. She wasn't really sure on what to call Alex. They hadn't discussed what they were to each other just yet. "Polly just isn't...she's not that...supportive of...I mean like you're my first..."

"Girlfriend," finished Alex.

Piper's blue eyes widened as she looked up at Alex. She could feel her cheeks flush underneath her gaze. That was the first time that she had called her that.

"Girlfriend," murmured back Piper, testing the work out for herself.

"Yeah," laughed Alex at Piper's reaction. "That's what you are...my girlfriend." The brunette smiled warmly at Piper, letting her know she was serious. She thought of her as her girlfriend.

Piper felt her heart pick up as she continued to look at Alex. A warmth of feeling filled the pit of her stomach as Alex intertwined her fingers with hers.

"I'm you're girlfriend." Piper grinned like an idiot as she said these words.

Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she pulled Piper closer to her on the couch. "Yes," she replied. "You're my girlfriend." She loved how surprised Piper was at this statement. She knew that it was the blonde's first same sex relationship, but it wasn't that big of a deal. They had been going out for a month now, it only made sense to call her that. The brunette had used the term loosely before in the past, but this time it felt different to say it. There was some actual weight behind it.

Leaning forward, Piper brushed her lips softly against Alex's. Her previous thoughts of Polly and her meeting Alex vanished from her mind. It didn't seem to matter that much anymore on what her best friend would think about Alex. Hell, she already knew what Polly was going to think, but she really didn't care. At this moment, she was just fucking happy.

It didn't take long for the kiss to deepen as Alex pushed Piper down onto the surface of the couch, her long length stretching over her.

They were currently in Piper's apartment. She was waiting for Polly to text her, letting her know her train had arrived at the station.

Alex roughly parted open the blonde's lips with her tongue, her hands immediatly traveling to the zipper of her shorts. She knew they didn't have much time until Piper's friend arrived. Plus, she needed to be leaving soon too. She wasn't suppose to be meeting Polly until tomorrow night.

Piper moaned into the kiss as she felt Alex's long fingers suddenly rubbing against her cunt.

* * *

"Shit!" cursed Alex as she shoved her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose and pulled herself away from Piper. She had lost track of time.

"Shit!" she cursed again as she reached for her pants on the floor and began to pull them up over her hips.

"What's wrong?" asked Piper as she rose herself up onto her elbows and watched as Alex began to redress.

"I'm late."

"Late?" The blonde was confused at this. "I thought you weren't working tonight."

"I'm not," stated Alex as she quickly hooked the clasp of her bra behind her back, heaving her breasts upwards. "I've got...I'm late for a meeting." She wasn't exactly lying to Piper. She did have a meeting, she just wasn't being specific on what kind of meeting it was. She'd yet to tell her girlfriend about her past involving drugs.

Alex wasn't the best at attending her AA meetings. She found the whole talking to strangers about those dark days of her youth did a whole lot worse than good. She hated talking about herself, especially with a butch of people she rather not share this information with. However, she knew that her mother cared. She made sure to at least attend one meeting a month.

Piper didn't say anything, watching as Alex pulled her t-shirt over her head. She didn't know what kind of meeting Alex needed to attend, but she didn't push on the matter. She knew there would be time to ask later.

"I'll call you later," murmured Alex as she moved back towards were Piper lay and kissed her softly on the lips.

"You better," murmured back Piper as she reached to cup the side of Alex's face, pulling her mouth to hers again.

The couple continued to kiss for a few moments longer before Alex pulled away. She really needed to go she thought as she caught the time on the digital radio which rested on the night stand.

"Okay. I really gottago," she whispered. She really hated to leave like this with a naked Piper just a few feet away. However, at the same time, she needed to go to this meeting. She had promised her mom she would go.

"Kay," whispered Piper as she gave a small wave with her hand, watching as Alex left her bedroom.

"Bye."

* * *

The blonde's eyes scanned around the crowded station before stopping on a familiar brunette decked out head-to-toe in J. Crew. She smiled as she continued to study her best friend from afar. She looked good, she thought as she took in the freckles doting Polly's face and arms. She must had just come from the cape, she thought. Both of their family's had a summer home in Cape Cod. A feeling of homesickness suddenly washed through Piper as she thought back to the summers spent on the beach. She had gone up to the cape every summer that she could remember. However, this year was different. She had decided to move to the City instead and start her life than to adventure out with her family to the old family beach-front cottage.

"POLLY!" she shouted out amongst the crowd of travelers as a moment passed.

The brunette immediatly turned towards Piper at her name being called. Her face broke out into a wide grin at spotting her and began to walk briskly, towards her.

The two girls screamed and threw their arms around each other like it had been years since they had seen each other. However, it had only been a couple of weeks since they had, really. A few people turn to look in curiosity at the two friends loud reunion.

Polly and Piper stood there for the longest time just clenching at each other in joy. It didn't matter how much time passed between them, everything always picked up where it had left off. Piper felt like she was sixteen as she inhaled the familiar flowery notes of Polly's perfume. Polly had been wearing the same perfume since she was thirteen. She had explained to Piper once when she had asked her about it that it was her scent. She would wear nothing else for the rest of her life. The smell brought so many memories back to the blonde.

"I missed you," whispered Piper as she pulled away from Polly. It wasn't a lie. She had missed Polly. No matter how different their lives were now from when they were eighteen, she would always consider Polly her best friend.

"I missed you too," replied Polly with a smile. "You look good. You look the same."

Piper couldn't help, but laugh at this. "Well, of course I look the same. Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno. I thought you would have a nose piercing or shaved a side of your head or something," replied Polly as she continued to look over Piper, making sure she hadn't missed anything like a tattoo hidden in the inside of her arm or a pierced nose. Piper was known to do things on impulsive. Like the time she had dramatically cut her hair into a pageboy style in the 7th grade when Jimmy Morgan had told her, he liked short hair on girls.

"Nope. Not yet!" replied Piper with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well...just fucking don't ok?" Polly met Piper eye at this. "Plus, you aren't cool enough to rock the side cut."

Piper rolled her eyes at her friend's worrying that she would dramatically change her appearance. Since that incident with Jimmy Morgan, she had swore she would never cut her hair or do anything to alter her appearance for a crush or anybody but herself. Plus, she liked how she looked now. Her hair was at the longest length it had ever been at.

"Come on," Piper then grabbed the handle of Polly's suitcase and wrapped her other arm around her friends. "We're going to paint the town red!"

"So when do I get to meet the _girlfriend?"_ asked Polly in a playful tone as they made their way out of the crowded train station and out onto the street.

"Tomorrow," replied Piper. "I thought we could spend the day together first, catching up before you two met."

"So are we walking to your place or getting a taxi?" asked Polly, changing the topic away from Piper's girlfriend. She looked down the busy New York Street before glancing back at Piper.

"I was thinking about walking," replied Piper slowly as she ran a hand through her hair. Her place wasn't that far away and plus she didn't have the money to afford the taxi ride. She could barely produce the change needed to ride the subway.

Polly just gave Piper an _are-you-kidding-me_ kinda look. There was no way she would be walking all the way to Piper's place. She was no expert of the City, but she assumed it was a far trip by foot. "Come on Pipes," she whined. "There is one right there. Let's grab it." The brunette pointed to the signature bright yellow taxi cab which had just pulled up in front of them.

Piper hesitated at first before following her friend to the cab. She didn't want to seem like a cheap-ass or anything. It wasn't going to cost her so much to take a cab home. It was just money she rather save, that was all. She only made so much money waitressing at the bar. It just barely enough to cover her bills and rent. She really had to start selling some of the paintings, which were slowly taking over her apartment.

"Come on Pipes. It's on me," replied Polly as she opened the side door of the cab and read the worried expression on Piper's face.

Piper smiled weakly at Polly as she slowly approached her, wheeling the suitcase behind her.

* * *

The air in the room was stuffy and smelt like stale pee.

Alex wrinkled her nose in disgust as she slump further down in her seat. She really hated it here, she thought as she listened to one of the newcomers introduce themselves. There was always new faces at the meeting whenever she came. Hell, she probably looked like a newcomer amongst the group. The only person she knew and who seemed to remember her too was the counsellor who lead the group.

She tried to listen to what the person was saying but her mind kept on drifting. She hated listening to other people's problems and issues with substance-abuse. It wasn't that she thought she was better than everyone here. That her personal issues trumped everyone else's. It was just sitting here reminded her of her past that she tried everyday to forget. These meetings she found never helped her. It always just made the issue worse in some cases. She always felt weak and depressed after attending.

Alex began to jiggle her legs as she glanced over at the clock on the far wall. There was less then ten minutes left. She couldn't wait until those ten minutes were up and she could go home. However, she really didn't want to go home. Leanne had her bible thumping friends over, it was bible study night. She couldn't stand those reborn again people that occupied the apartment every Thursday. All they seemed to do was argue about who would get rapture first. She thought they were all a butch of idiots.

The brunette wished she could see Piper that night, but she knew that wouldn't be happening. Piper had warned her about her friend's opinion on their relationship. This didn't really bother Alex. She didn't really care if this Polly-person liked her a whole lot or not. All she cared about was Piper and her thoughts. But she knew that this meeting was important to the blonde and that's why she was doing it.

"Does anyone else feel like sharing today?" asked the counsellor, pulling Alex out of her thoughts.

This was followed by a deafeningly silence in the sweltering high school gym. The meeting was held in some crumbling high school in Queens. Being in a high school, didn't help with her need not to think about the past. It was only making things worse for her. She felt like a cage animal here. She was growing extremely anguish with each passing moment. She just wanted the counsellor to wrap it up and she could leave this place.

Alex was the first one out of her seat and storming across the gym floor to the exit. She was in desire need of a cigarette and maybe a drink or two. She desperately could use a fuck too. Sex always took off the edge after a meeting. However, that wouldn't be happening. She had been fateful to Piper over the last month and planned on continuing to be. In the past, she had let her emotions take over all reasonable thought and sleeping with someone else. However, she was trying to play by the rules and do things right by Piper.

The sunlight blinded her as she stepped out of the high school and immediatly reached for the crunched pack of cigarettes in the back pocket of her jeans. She pulled the last cigarette out of the pack and held it between her lips. Throwing the now empty box into the trash can beside her, she quickly then lit the cigarette and blew out a ring of smoke.

Her eyes immediatly closed as a weight lifted off of her shoulders and she began to relax. The brunette debated on what to do next. She could go over to Nicky's house and hang out there for a while. Nicky would understand her need to get wasted after attending a meeting. However, Lorna would probably be there too and she really didn't want to dish out her issues with the bubbly Italian woman around. Lorna was nice and sure she smoked up every once in a while, but she wasn't a former junkie like her and Nicky were.

* * *

"Welcome to Casa Chapman!" cried out Piper as she held open the door of her apartment, allowing for Polly to pass her. "It isn't much," stated Piper nervously as she closed the door and eyed Polly as she looked around the small space. She knew the apartment wouldn't be up to Polly's standards, but she still wanted her friend's approval in some way.

"What's that smell?" asked Polly as she wrinkled her nose and sniffed at the air.

"It's downstairs," murmured the blonde in response.

"Doesn't it bother you?" asked Polly as she brought her hand up to her nose and covered it.

"You kinda get use to it," muttered Piper honestly. The smell had bothered her when she first moved in, but she was use to it now.

"I guess so," replied Polly as she continued to cover her nose and breath through her mouth over the smell.

The two friends were silent for a moment as Piper moved further into the apartment. She wondered if she should give Polly a tour of the place, even know there wasn't much to see. "Shall I give you the grand tour of the place?"

"Sure," smirked Polly.

"Well as you can see this is the kitchen/living room/dining room/art studio," explained Piper as she gestured to her easel in the corner. She knew Polly wouldn't think it was much and it really wasn't. But it was still her home.

"Wow, you said it was small, but I didn't expect it would be this small," replied Polly as she continued to look around the space. She herself lived in a two story townhouse with her fiancé, Pete.

The blonde just shrugged and smiled weakly at Polly's comment. "All places in New York City are small."

"Well, I like what you have done with the place," spoke the brunette brightly trying to ease the slight tension that had risen between them. She didn't want to fight with Piper on her first day here. "The purple's nice."

"Thanks." Piper hadn't really painted the walls purple, they had been like that when she moved in. "So I was thinking that you could sleep in my room and I would sleep on the couch," continued to explain the blonde as she gestured to her bedroom. "And don't worry...the sheets have been changed."

"They better be," replied Polly, half-jokingly. " I love you and support this new lifestyle and all but I draw the line on sleeping on the sheets you and your girlfriend shagged on."

Piper just rolled her eyes at her friend, "There clean!" She had made sure to change the sheets after Alex had left earlier that afternoon.

* * *

_Danger in the shape of somethin' wild  
Stranger dressed in black, she's a hungry child_

Piper smiled as she looked down at the caller display on her phone. It always made her giddy to see Alex's name on the screen.

_No one knows who she is or what her name is  
I don't know where she came from or what her game is_

It was passed midnight now as the blonde sat in front of her easel, painting. Her and Polly had gone out for dinner and a show earlier on. Polly was asleep now in Piper's bed. The blonde had decided to stay up, waiting for Alex's call. She knew it was juvenile to get excited about a phone call, but it had become a habit that Alex would call at night when they didn't see each other.

 _Hot child in the city_  
Hot child in the city  
Runnin' wild and lookin' pretty  
Hot child in the city

Piper placed her wet paintbrush into the mug full of water, before answering the call. She glanced over to the bedroom door, making sure she hadn't woken up Polly as rose slowly from her stool.

"Hey."

"Hey," greeted Alex in a low whisper.

Piper grinned as she felt a warmth stir in the pit of her stomach. She loved the sound of Alex's sultry voice. "What's up?" she asked, trying to compose her sudden lust.

"Nothing much. Am I interrupting anything?"

"No. You're not," replied Piper as she moved towards the couch. "We just came in from seeing a show. Polly's sleeping."

"And you are just what...waiting up for my call?" Alex was teasing her.

"Yes." Piper thought about making some excuse up but she really didn't care if Alex knew that she had been waiting up for her to phone, as lame as it was. "Plus, I was finishing off that painting for that group show I told you about."

"Well, I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long," replied Alex slowly into the phone.

"It's okay," stated Piper as she moved the phone from one ear to the other.

A brief moment of silence passed between them before Alex began to ask Piper about her day.

"So how did things with Holly go?"

"Polly!" corrected Piper with a slight smile appearing on her face.

"What?"

"It's Polly. Not Holly." The blonde knew her friend would have a shit-fest if she heard Alex mispronounce her name.

"Oh! Well how did things with _Polly_ go then?" There was a hint of sarcasm to Alex's voice as she asked again how things went with Piper's friend.

"They've been good so far," explained Piper as she thought back to the day. Sure there had been some awkward moments but for the most part it had been like old times having Polly around. "I showed her around the neighbourhood and took her by the bar. Pornstache tried to hit on her."

"Pornstache hits on everyone. That dude thinks he's the hottest shit going," laughed Alex on the other line.

"Polly wasn't that impressed by him either." The blonde continued to talk about the rest of her day with Polly for a few moments longer before asking about Alex's day.

"How was your meeting or whatever you went to?"

"Meh...it was okay," replied Alex casually. She really didn't want to talk about her meeting. She knew that Piper was only trying to be nice and show interest in her day, but the sooner they got off the topic of the meeting, the better off she would be. After her meeting she had gone to Nicky's for a bit. Luckily Lorna hadn't been there, so she was able to talk about her past openly. She knew it was weird that she didn't like to talk about her past, but had no problem doing so with Nicky. It was just that Nicky understood were she was coming from.

"Can I ask what it was for?"

"Nothing of importants, really."

Piper frowned slightly at hearing this. She couldn't help, but feel like Alex was holding back on her. However, she didn't think too much about it as she once again changed the topic.

"So..."

"So..."

"Can I come see you?" asked Alex after a moment had passed. Her voice was once again low as she asked this question. It might be because of the few beers she'd had at Nicky's or how she was still feeling a little vulnerable from the meeting but she was in a desperate need to see the blonde suddenly.

"Like when? Now!?"

"Yeah," whispered Alex, suddenly feeling stupid for making the request. "You know what, never mind. It's late. You should sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

Piper was quiet for a second before replying. She suddenly wanted to see Alex too. She glanced briefly over at the closed bedroom door, again making sure that Polly wouldn't suddenly jump out from behind it. "I would like you to come see me. How soon can you be here? I'll meet you outside," asked Piper as she rose to her feet. If Alex was going to come over, they would have to stay outside on the street.

"Well...I'm kinda already here."

"You are?"

"Yeah," chuckled Alex. "I was coming home from Nicky's and kinda got off at the wrong stop."

"You're such a fucking liar!" laughed Piper at hearing how Alex had gotten off at the wrong stop. If she had really been coming home from Nicky's, she would get off two subway stops before Piper's stop.

"Just come fucking down!" cried Alex in response to this.

"Ok. Ok." Piper quickly then ended the call before heading outside in just her pajamas to greet her girlfriend.

Alex was on Piper the moment she opened the door to the stairwell. Her hands flew to Piper's waist, pushing her against the wall as her mouth crashed into Piper's. She kissed her hard and with need.

Piper was taken back by Alex's forcefulness. Her hands hung limp in the air as her mind tried to register what was happening for a second. It didn't take her too long though to catch up as she intertwined her fingers into Alex's dark locks.

Alex's tongue darted into the warm depths of Piper's mouth, tasting the peppermint of her toothpaste on her teeth. She hadn't meant to jump Piper like she had, but something had just come over her. When she had originally thought of coming over to see Piper, it was just to talk briefly, but with seeing Piper in just those little shorts she wore to bed...

Alex pressed her body further up against Piper, feeling the warmth of her body against her own. Her hands slid up the loose shirt that the blonde was wearing and immediatly cupped her breasts.

Piper moaned into the kiss in response to Alex's suddenly touch on her breasts. Alex nuzzled Piper's neck, as her hand continued to pawed at her breast, her other hand hitched Piper's leg over her hip. She brushed her thigh against the blonde's sex, earning her a whimper.

They stayed like this for a moment dry humping, before Alex was sliding her hand into the leg opening of the blonde's shorts. A sly smile appeared across her features when she realized that Piper wasn't wearing any underwear. She looked deeply at Piper with lust before pulling her into a kiss.

Piper flexed her hips against Alex's hand as it began to work the folds of her cunt. Her heart was racing as pleasure washed through her. God, she wished that Alex greeted her like this every time she saw her. She tried to be quiet as she bit the inside of her cheek, preventing herself from screaming out. Her toes curled as she felt Alex's thumb press against her clit, while a finger was inserted into her.

Alex's lips sucked hard on the delicate skin of Piper's neck as she continued to finger her. She loved to get Piper off like this. Alex was always the aggressor when it came to sex but she didn't mind. Piper was becoming like an another drug to her. But that was okay, she thought. Right now, feeling the pulsing heat of the blonde's bare cunt against her fingers, the wetness of her juices coating them as they repeatedly moved in and out...this was way better than any high she had experienced in the past.

Sure, heroin had once been the best girlfriend of her life. And since she had gotten clean, she had been searching for it's replacement. And even know it scared her a little, to admit it but Piper was starting to be that replacement.

She was starting to fall in love with Piper Chapman.

* * *

Alex kissed her way up Piper's stomach, kissing the tops of her breasts towards her neck.

"Hi," whispered Piper as she met Alex's eye.

"Hi." Alex smiled as she captured Piper's lips into a soft kiss.

The couple was back in Piper's apartment on the couch. They knew they were taking a big risk awakening Polly and being caught, but that didn't really seem to matter. After their quick session in the stairway, Piper had led Alex upstairs.

"I should go," whispered Alex in between kisses. It was just passed 4am. She had already stayed longer than she first orignally planned on doing. This was just suppose to be a pop in visit. Not a stay overnight.

"But I don't want you to go," murmured the blonde. "Stay."

Alex pulled back from the kiss and looked down at Piper, studying her face. "Are you being serious? What about Sunday Jane in there?" The brunette cocked her head, gesturing towards Piper's closed bedroom door.

"I don't care." Piper clasped her hands on either side of Alex's face, pulling her mouth to hers. She didn't care about Polly and what she would think. She had one time gone on a girls only weekend with her back in college. It was suppose to be a girls retreat but Pete had some how showed up and Polly let him stay, making Piper have to share a hotel room with them. In her books, Polly owed her.

Alex didn't need to be convinced twice as all thoughts of Piper's friend walking in on them left her mind.

The kiss grew with urgency as their mouths parted open against one another and tongues met.

The room grew heavy once again with the sounds of their lovemaking. Their bodies moved against one another, bare naked flesh brushing underneath the flannel blanket that covered them on the couch.

* * *

"What the fuck?"

Piper's eyes flew open in alert as she looked up at Polly, who was standing a few feet away.

"Shit!" cursed Piper as she slowly tried to untangle herself from Alex, who was still fast asleep. She tried to come up with something to say towards her friend, who wasn't looking too pleased at the moment. Piper covered herself with the blanket as she sat up on the couch.

"Look, Pol...I'm sorry," she murmured. She knew this looked bad, waking up naked with her girlfriend beside her. Polly, she knew was shocked to come out and seeing this scene, but Piper didn't really mind. She had told Alex to stay and happy that she had. This was her life now, she thought. She shouldn't have to hide Alex from her best friend. Plus, this was her apartment. She would had felt differently if she had snuck Alex into Polly's house or somewhere else.

The two friends just stayed there for a second, staring at each other before Alex stirred on the couch.

"Babe," murmured Alex, reaching out for Piper in her sleep. She nuzzled her face into Piper's side, wrapping her arm around her middle.

"Alex...wake up," whispered Piper harshly as she nudged her girlfriend's shoulder.

"You wake up," replied Alex as she slid her hand upwards and tried to cup Piper's breast. She was unaware of the audience they had.

"Alex!" cried Piper as she pulled the blanket further up against her chest and batted Alex's hand away.

"Hey!" cried Alex with a smirk. She was awake now as she sat up and looked at Piper.

The blonde bit her lip nervously, eyeing her before gesturing over to Polly. "Alex, meet Polly..."

The smirk faded from Alex's face as she narrowed her eyes blindly as she looked from Piper to the newcomer and back.

"Hey." The brunette nodded her head at Polly.

"Polly, meet Alex," Piper had never felt so uncomfortable. This was not how she imaged introducing Alex to Polly.

Polly just glared coldly at Alex for a moment, taking in the sight of her naked from the waist up, her hand resting on Piper's thigh. She didn't know what to make of all this. This was the last thing she had been expecting to wake up too. She had only come out to pee when she encountered the couple on the couch.

"Hi," she said after a moment of awkwardness had passed.


	17. Chapter 17

Piper waited for the bathroom door to close before standing up.

"Get dressed!" she hissed towards Alex who had decided to lay back down on the couch. They only had a few moments before Polly returned and she didn't want her friend seeing them in the same undressed state as before.

Alex didn't say anything in reply as she grinned. The brunette was obviously enjoying herself at the moment. She didn't seem to care that Piper's best friend had just walked in on them naked.

"Get dressed!" hissed Piper again as she located Alex's shirt and bra off the floor and threw them at her. Alex just chuckled as she sat up and reached for her bra. She loved to see Piper in a fluster like this.

"You're cute," whispered Alex as she tried to reach for Piper's hand, but the blonde batted her away.

Piper just glared at Alex, begging her not to be a jackass, and just get the fuck dressed. The room filled again with the sound of Alex's laughter as she slowly began to make herself decent before Polly returned.

"Spoil sport," she murmured.

It was morning now.

They should be getting up anyway.

Piper continued to ignore Alex as she, herself who was fully dressed made her way into the kitchen. She was in desperate need of coffee and probably everyone else for that matter. She knew it would be a long day as she tried to mend the ties between Alex and Polly. This was not how she envisioned introducing them.

As she filled the kettle with water, she felt Alex's hands on her waist.

"I'm going to go."

Piper immediatly turned around at this and met Alex's eye. She looked at her in confusion on what she had just said. "You're going?"

"Yeah," replied Alex. "I'm going to go."

"Why?" Had she missed something? she thought as she continued to look at her girlfriend in puzzlement.

A small chuckle escaped Alex's lips at this. "I dunno," she shrugged. She wasn't sure herself why she was leaving. She just got the vibe that she should leave. She was now thinking that she had misread the tension in the room.

"Stay," spoke Piper. "You're already here. There's no point in you leaving now."

"What about your friend? I don't think she likes me very much."

"Fuck Polly. She'll come around. You just took her by surprise...that's all." Piper really hoped that what she was saying was true. That Polly would come around and at least try to make nice with Alex. She really did want them to get along. She wasn't asking for them to like each other...just accept that they were both important parts of her life. "I don't think she was expecting to see us naked on the couch first thing in the morning."

Piper leaned forward and kissed Alex softly on the lip. " Just Stay," she whispered again before pugging the kettle into the wall.

"Yes ma'am," whispered Alex as she wrapped her arms around Piper's stomach and kissed the side of her neck. They stayed like this for a second before the bathroom door opened and Polly joined them.

Alex and Piper immediatly turned to look over at her. Now with her glasses back on, the brunette could see Polly better. She was dressed in only a baggy t-shirt and her long brown hair was pulled off her face in a ponytail. The three women just looked at each other for a long moment. Like three lioness staking out their territory in the lion's den.

"Let my properly introduce myself," stated Alex as she approached Polly. She figured that Piper's friend wouldn't make the first move in trying to ease the tension. "I'm Alex. It's nice to meet you, Holly."

Polly hesitated at first before shaking Alex's hand. " It's Polly, actual."

"Oh. Shit. I'm sorry," replied Alex apologetically. "My short term memory sucks."

"It's okay," replied Polly with a tight smile. "Polly's a hard name to remember."

Alex narrowed her eyes slightly at the other woman. She could sense there was a hint of sarcasm in Polly's tone, but she wasn't for sure. She gave her a slight smile before turning to look at Piper.

Piper just shrugged her shoulders at Alex before trying to smooth over the tension in the room which had seemed to have gotten worse.

"Take a seat," she gestured to the bar stools that lined the kitchen island. "I'm making coffee."

Both Alex and Polly didn't say a word as they did what they were told and both took seats at the kitchen island. They were both trying to make it easy for Piper but it was obvious that they wouldn't be fast friends.

"So what do you do?" asked Polly attempting to make small talk with Alex. Piper had already told her how Alex worked as a bartender at Coyote and was also the nude model in her drawing class.

"Oh you know. I dabble in things," Alex drummed her fingers against the counter as she caught Polly's eye. "Bartending...Modeling...What about you, _Polly_?"

"I'm a receptionist."

"God, I could never answer phones all day," commented Alex.

"Polly actually does a lot more than answering phones. She practically runs her father's law firm now since he's heart attack last year," added Piper as she placed two steaming black mugs of coffee down in front of them. "They're both black!"

Alex just nodded her head in interested before reaching for the mug and taking a long sip from it. She knew that Piper wasn't trying to take sides but she felt like Piper's little comment was a burn in her direction. She was the underdog here. Piper and her friend came from a different world than she did. She didn't usually allow herself get intimidated by preppy upper-class girls, but the nine year old girl in thrift clothes within her made an appearance.

"Yeah. That business degree came in handy," replied Polly as she blew on her coffee. "Oh! Speaking of business..."

Alex blocked out the rest of the conversation as Polly went on to talk about something about some dress appointment she had later on that day. She really should have gone home, she thought as she drank her coffee.

Piper smiled at Alex as she caught her eye. She was trying to listen to Polly as she began to talk about what kind of wedding dress she wanted but her heart wasn't in to it. Sure as the maid of honour she was suppose to show an interest and have a strong opinion on things like this, but she just didn't care.

She pretended to show interest as she walked slowly around the kitchen island and slipped into the barstool beside Alex. _Hi_ , she mouthed as the brunette looked at her.

"I've always liked simple dresses," stated the blonde casually towards Polly. "Like classic lace numbers that fall to the floor. No trains or frills. Just elegant." As she said all this, she draped her arm around Alex's neck and rested her chin on her shoulder. It felt a little weird, she had to admit having a conversation with Polly about wedding dresses while she breathed in the scent of Alex. But it was a good kind of weird. She could do this, she thought.

"I like mermaid style," added Polly. "It's still classy but shows off the curves."

"You have always had a love for Little Mermaid," joked Piper as she felt Alex's arm scope around her side, pulling her closer to her.

Alex had no real idea what mermaid style was but she wasn't too keen to find out. She was more interested in the beautiful blonde currently hanging off her neck. Putting her coffee mug down, she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to the soft spot of skin just underneath Piper's earlobe.

Just then the room exploded with the sound of Alex's cell phone blaring from where she had left it the night before.

"Shit!" cursed Alex.

No one said a word as Alex bolted out of her stool and immediatly moved towards the end table by the couch. She quickly ignored the other two as she swiped her screen and answered the call.

"Hey," she spoke into the phone. "I know. I know. I'm sorry...I got caught up in something last night." She looked over briefly at Piper before adruptly turning her back and moving towards the bedroom for privacy.

"What the fuck was that about?" asked Polly as she looked over at Piper.

"I don't know," murmured Piper as she continued to look at the ajar bedroom door. She had no idea who Alex was talking too. Whoever it was, seemed pretty important, she thought.

* * *

"So does your mom know?" asked Polly with interest as she searched through the massive clothing rail of white. They were currently in a small wedding dress shop, looking for Polly's dress.

"About what?" asked Piper.

"About fucking Alex. Stupid. What else?"

"I dunno," shrugged Piper feeling stupid. "You weren't specific."

"Whatever," spoke Polly as she casted a sideways glance at the blonde. "You still didn't answer the question."

"Of course my fucking mother doesn't know," whispered Piper harshly. "You know that. My parents don't know shit about Alex and it's going to stay that way."

"Hey! Don't look at me like that. I might not get the whole bohemian artist lesbian lifestyle thing you're doing now but I'm not going to tell!"

"I'm not doing some bohemian artist lifestyle thing," murmured Piper. "It's just my life. "

"Whatever, you want to call it," smiled Polly. "The whole lesbian thing is safe with me."

"Thanks," whispered Piper as she turned to face her friend and hugged her. She knew Polly still had a long ways to go to except her new life but she was glad to hear that she wouldn't tattle on her.

This meant the world to her that Polly would keep her secret. She didn't plan on keeping her parents in the dark forever about Alex but she didn't plan on sharing it any time soon either. If she had thought that Polly's reaction to the news had been bad, her parents would be ten times worse. Her family wasn't anti-gay. They just frowned upon it quietly like they did with everything else they didn't think was right or didn't understand. Like the poor or wearing white after Labour Day.

"But you know what that means right?" asked Polly as she pulled away from the hug and looked at Piper straight in the eye.

"What?" frowned Piper in confusion.

"That Alex can't come to the wedding," stated Polly like it was obvious. "Like your parents are invited and probably going to come. So if you plan on bringing your _girlfriend_ as your plus one, you're going to have to come out of the closet!"

"Geesh. Thanks for the support!"

"What? I'm just saying. I don't need fucking drama on my wedding day. It's already pushing it with having Larry being Pete's best man," explained Polly as she turned her attention back to the rail of wedding dresses. Her wedding might not be such a big deal for Piper but it was for her.

Piper opened and closed her mouth, perplexed on what to say to all this. She hadn't thought this far ahead. Polly's wedding was like a year away still. They were having one of those long engagements or what not. "I haven't thought about that all just yet," she spoke quietly after a moment had passed.

"Look, I'm not saying you have to figure out everything this minute. I'm just letting you know to give me a heads up and shit," answered Polly casually before she changed the topic by pulling out a dress from the rack. "What do you think?"

Piper was all too happy for the much needed change in conversation. She didn't want to think about her parents or mother's reaction for that matter when they found out about Alex. She hadn't even told them she was working as a waitress. They thought she had gotten some receptionist job for an accounting company. She was always fibbing a little when she talked to her parents every few days. She knew they would frown upon the life she had made for herself in New York City. She hated how much she needed their approval on things. Approval, she knew she wouldn't get. So she lied. Making everyone happy, in away. She didn't have to worry so much about her parents disproval so much and her parents were at least content knowing she had a decent job in the City. Even if it was all really a lie.

* * *

"What do you think?" asked Piper as she showed her finish piece to Alex.

It was a couple days later and Polly had left earlier to go back to Connecticut. It was just her and Alex in her apartment now as she finally showed her the piece she had been working on for her group show. She was a little nervous to show Alex her work. She found it to be a very private, her work. She always felt a little weird showing it off, especially to people she was dating. She wanted her to love it. Well...maybe not love it but like it. This would be her first finished painting since she had down since Smith. She had done other pieces of work, but this was the only complete piece she was really happy with.

The painting was a large portrait done in a palette of vibrant blues and purples. The person in the portrait was unknown to Piper. She had found a stock photo online of an older woman and it had just struck her. The group show was about portraits and painting in the modern digital age.

"It isn't really much," explained Piper nervously as she looked towards her work. "I just wanted to try to grasp the personality of this unknown woman by using colour and what came instinctually to me."

"It's fucking brilliant, Pipes," spoke Alex as she studied the painting. And it wasn't a lie. She thought it was very well-done. She had only seen Piper's work in class and the sketches she had done of herself. This was the first time she was seeing a completed painting. Sure, she had peaked at Piper's work when she wasn't around. She knew Piper was talented. But she still couldn't help but be blown away by it now. "Like shit! I mean it."

"You don't think the eyes look a little odd?" asked Piper. "I kinda rushed them."

"The eyes are perfect," replied Alex, reassuringly. She didn't know a lot about art, just whether she liked it or not. So she couldn't give Piper the professional feedback that she was looking for. "It's perfect...You're perfect."

The brunette came up and wrapped her arms around Piper.

"You're just saying that..." murmured the blonde as she looked up at Alex before once again shifting her attention to the painting. She still wasn't sure if it completely finished yet. She had rushed the eyes a little, she thought.

"Aww, my little tortured artist," murmured Alex as she pulled Piper into a kiss.

The couple kissed for a second or two longer before Piper was pulling away. There was something she wanted to ask Alex about but was scared to. She didn't know if she was overreacting or not. But she couldn't get that phone call out of her mind. Ever since it had happened, it had been bothering her who Alex had been talking too so secretively too. She knew it was probably nothing and she was over-stepping here, but she was itching to ask.

"What?" laughed Alex as Piper continued to stare at her.

"Ok," whispered the blonde. "This might come out weird or seem strange but..."

"But?"

"You remember that phone call you took the other morning when Polly was here?"

"Yeah?" replied Alex a little confused at where Piper was going with this. The phone call hadn't been that long.

"And I might be overstepping here but...who was it?"

"Who was what?" asked Alex as she continued to peer at Piper. She didn't like where this was going.

"Who where you talking too?" asked Piper slowly.

"Why does that matter?" asked the brunette defensively.

"It doesn't really," stuttered Piper, trying to backtrack a little. "I was just wondering...It just seemed like important phone call...forget that I asked. It's none of my business. I'm sorry."

Alex was quiet for a moment as she studied her girlfriend. Her anger had subsided now as she debated on what to say. She didn't want to keep secrets from Piper and who had called her wasn't really a big deal like Piper oblivious thought it was. She hadn't meant to be so secretive, it was just that she hadn't wanted Piper overhearing her talk to her mom about the meeting she had attended. She had forgotten to call her mom the night before about the meeting and just her life in general.

When Alex didn't reply right away, Piper leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. "Please don't be mad."

A small smirk appeared on Alex's face at this. "I'm not mad," she whispered.

"You're not?" asked Piper a little surprised.

"Well, I was a little," admitted Alex with curl of a smile. "But I got over it."

Piper returned the smile at this. She was happy to hear that Alex wasn't as mad as she thought she was at her. She hadn't wanted to make Alex upset about asking her, who had phoned her.

Alex began to attack the side of the blonde's neck in kisses in hopes of making her forget about the phone call.


	18. Chapter 18

Piper brought a rag to her brow then stepped back twice to survey her work. Since Piper had left Polly at the train station earlier that morning, she'd been at the canvas having gotten hit by sudden inspiration. One thing or another had always seemed off in the past couple of days, but today, right now, Piper was feeling really, really good about what was on her canvas.

Excitement bubbled up inside of her like a pop can shaken too hard as she continued to study her painting from a new angle. Piper wasn't one to toot her own horn, but she couldn't help admit how damn good it looked to her at the moment.

After showing it to Alex, Piper had been unsatisfied with her work, so while the brunette slept, Piper had slaved away at her easel. She only had a couple of days left before the art show. She was hoping that this show would be the start of many to come. This was something that scared the shit out of her and excited her at the same time. She was feeling the same way that she'd right before she had moved to the City, that feeling that something big was about to happen in her life.

She'd seen many of her art school friends becoming successful in exhibiting their work at galleries and winning grants while Piper herself spent her time waitressing. But now, it was finally her time. It was just a small, group showing, she knew, but she was hoping that this could be a stepping stone to greater things beyond. This would just be the first opportunity to show everyone here that she could do this whole artist thing.

"You're still working on it?"

Piper glanced over her shoulder as Alex came towards her. She smiled shyly before looking back at her painting. "Just touching it up a bit," she murmured as she felt Alex's arms wrap around her thin frame.

"Come back to bed," whispered Alex. She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling the vanilla scent of Piper's skin before softly kissing the back of her neck. She had woken up to pee when she found the other end of the bed empty.

The blonde was quiet for a moment as she leaned into the tall length of Alex's body. She loved when she was held like this in the brunette's strong embrace. It gave her a sense of security. It made her feel safe.

"Come back to bed," murmured Alex again.

"Kay."

Piper turned around and wrapped her arms loosely around Alex's neck. She smiled, her eyes bright with amusement as she studied her girlfriend's face. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to hers.

The kiss was soft and sweet, lasting only a moment before the couple broke apart.

"I just have to wash my hands," explained Piper as she held out her paint-stained hands, palms up to Alex.

"I just need to pee," replied Alex with a smirk.

"Oh!" muttered the blonde in surprise. "Well...you go first," she offered, gesturing to the bathroom. "I need to clean up my paints anyways."

Alex guffawed. "Don't be silly!" whispered Alex. "We both can use the bathroom."

"We can?"

"What? Too soon?" asked the brunette, grinning at Piper in slight amusement. She loved how stupidly cute the blonde was now, thinking they couldn't both use the bathroom at the same time.

"No! No, of course not!" Piper tried to keep her cool and not act too shocked by what Alex was suggesting. It wasn't like she hadn't seen all of Alex before. In fact, she knew that particular area of her girlfriend very well now, she liked to think. Even so, she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable with the notion of Alex peeing in front of her...

Alex just smirked at Piper, cocking an eyebrow before walking past her and into the bathroom.

"Come on, Pipes," she called out over her shoulder. She wasn't shy about sharing a bathroom like Piper apparently was. She knew they were crossing some sort of line. But she felt perfectly comfortable in doing this and she wanted Piper to be too.

Alex stared pointedly at Piper in amusement as she pushed her underwear down her thighs before taking a seat on the toilet.

The blonde smiled weakly at Alex as she hovered in the doorway. She felt very nervous to be standing in her own bathroom with her girlfriend. She knew she was being stupid and acting like some ridiculously backward prude at the moment. But she couldn't ever recall peeing in front of someone... She had never shared a bathroom with any of previous boyfriends before. Or even with any of her friends for that matter.

She guessed this weird phobia came from all the years of her mother standing outside the bathroom stall while she was a child. She could not recall a time when her mother didn't stand on the other side of the door, instructing her on how clean her private area, but never actually coming in like she had seen other mothers do.

"Well...go wash your hands, or are you just going to continue to watch me pee?" asked Alex in a teasing tone.

"I..I..." stuttered the blonde as she ducked her head and quickly walked towards the sink.

Piper fumbled with the faucets of the sink as Alex continued her business behind her. She didn't know why she was freaking out so much about Alex peeing in front of her. It wasn't really that big of a deal, she thought.

Before she knew it though, Alex was leading her back into the bedroom.

"See, that wasn't so bad," drawled Alex as she lay back onto the bed.

"No, it wasn't," replied Piper with a smile. She slid underneath the covers beside Alex.

"Good night, kid," whispered Alex in the darkened bedroom.

"Good night."

* * *

"Alex. We're going to get caught," whispered Piper as Alex trapped her between her legs at the bar.

"Red's not here," murmured back Alex as she slid her hands up Piper's shirt and nuzzled her face into the blonde's neck. "No one is."

They were both working the early shift today, and Alex was here to open up the bar. There was still some time before everyone else started to show up for work, just enough time for a quickie, thought the brunette as laid passionate kisses along the curve of Piper's neck. Her fingers worked the clasp of her girlfriend's bra as she swirled the tip of her tongue along the edge of her ear.

Piper melted into Alex at this. The thought of being caught drifted far from her mind as pleasure quickly bloomed through her. She tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck further to Alex as her eyes closed. The blonde was standing as Alex was seated on one of the bar stools, the brunette's long legs were wrapped tightly around her, keeping her in place.

Their mouths soon found each other as the heat grew between them. Lips parted and tongues dipped and explored. Piper's hands flew to the black of Alex's head, pulling roughly at her dark locks. She was hot and bothered now. All she could think about was the feel of Alex's hands on her hardened nipples. She could feel the place between the thighs dampening more with each second. God, was she happy that she had chosen to wear her skirt today and not shorts.

However, they weren't able to go much further than tongue fucking before being interrupted by the sound of the bar door opening.

Piper and Alex immediately jumped apart from each other and pretended to look as casual as possible, thinking it was Red.

However, it was much worse than Red. It was Pornstache.

"Good afternoon, ladies!"

Piper's hands immediately went to her back and began to hook the clasp of her bra. She could feel her cheeks burning as the bouncer continued to smirk at her and Alex in amusement.

Alex just adjusted her glasses, glaring at Pornstache. Her dislike for the man was written clear on her face. This didn't seem to bother him too much though. He just stroked his moustache as he slowly approached them.

"It's a beautiful summer day we're having today, don't you think?" Pornstache shifted his eyes from Alex to Piper and back. He could tell that he had walked in on something steamy between the two women.

"Very nice," murmured Piper, dryly back. The blonde had finally hooked her bra successfully and was studying the man's face. She was glad that Alex was with her. She didn't really know Pornstache well, but she had no urge to change that anytime soon. He was creepy. She didn't know if it was the groady moustache that lined his upper lip or just the way he looked at you sometimes, like he was undressing you with his eyes. Probably a little of everything, she thought.

"Where's your little friend at?" asked Pornstache towards her. "That Holly chick you had around here a couple of days ago..."

"Polly," corrected Piper automatically. "She went back home to her fiancé."

"That's too bad," replied the bouncer. "She was hot. I would've liked a piece of that."

Piper didn't know how to respond to this, just looking at the man with a mixture of discomfort and shock before glancing over at Alex. The brunette wasn't paying any attention to her as she glared at Pornstache. She could tell by the way that Alex was looking at the guy that she wanted him very much to leave.

"Speaking of a piece of that...What were you two up too when I walked in?" Pornstache wagged his eyebrows, that lustful look appearing once again on his face as he shifted his eyes between the two women.

"None of your fucking business!" snapped Alex in response. Pornstache wasn't her boss, she didn't have to explain herself to him.

"Because it sure didn't look like nothing," continued Pornstache, seemingly oblivious to Alex's temper. "I've seen you guys sneaking around during shifts..." He raised his eyebrows as if to suggest he had seen a lot more of them together. Alex and Piper had been careful sneaking off during and after shifts. "With your _lesbian_ activities."

Alex could feel her anger begin to boil at Pornstache's wording. She hated guys like him who only thought of a relationship between two women was about sex and for their own fucking pleasure. "I told you, it's none of your fucking business," her voice was like ice as she took a step towards the man. The brunette wasn't intimated at all by him. He just thought because he was the only male that worked at the bar that he had some power over all of them. But in reality, he really fucking didn't. At least not over her.

The duo just continued to stare at one another for a moment or two longer, with Pornstache and his bemused expression and Alex with her very pissed-off one.

"I wouldn't take that tone with me, Vause. Don't you remember the rules? Staff isn't allowed to date!"

Alex just laughed in response to this. "We wouldn't even have that fucking rule, if it wasn't for you and your fucking dick-headed ways! Have you even spoken to Daya?"

Pornstache pursed his lips as he eyed Alex. "Hey, she came on to me. Bennett wasn't man enough for her. She wanted to feel what a real cock felt like..."

"Oh! Because everyone wants a fucking piece of you! Right?!" Alex rolled her eyes.

"One night with me, Vause, and you won't be licking pussies no more," replied Pornstache, taking a small step towards Alex. "You would be sucking balls." And as if to make his point even clearer to her, he reached down and grabbed his crouch.

"I'll pass, thanks," murmured back Alex.

"You could bring your little girlfriend along too." Pornstache shifted his attention away from Alex and over at Piper.

The blonde's eyes widened at his suggestion. Her cheeks began to flush as Pornstache's eyes roamed up and down her body. This wasn't the first time she was at the other end of his lusting looks.

"I bet she likes dick."

"You're fucking disgusting," murmured Alex. The brunette continued to look at the man before glancing over at Piper. She couldn't quite read what she was thinking at the moment.

The room filled with a deafening silence before Alex was grabbing Piper by the wrist and pulling her far away from Pornstache. The brunette was in need of a cigarette as her anger continued to course through her body.

"Have fun, ladies!" yelled Pornstache after them.

* * *

"Do you think Pornstache will say something to Red about us?" asked Piper in a worry.

Alex didn't say anything right away as lit her cigarette and leant up against the brick wall of the alley.

"Do you think we should go to her and just be honest and upfront?"

"Kid! Chill out!" replied Alex as she cast a sideways glance at Piper, who was pacing. She took a drag from the cigarette before blowing out a ring of smoke. "It's going to be okay." Alex found it cute that Piper was worried about Pornstache ratting on them, but she knew that he wouldn't. As much he walked around, thinking that he was the big man on campus here, Red scared the shit out of him.

"But what if?"

"Here!" Alex offered the cigarette to her. The blonde seemed to need it more than she did at the moment. "It helps!"

Piper just stared at the cigarette before shaking her head no. She didn't want a smoke. She liked to have one or two after sex sometimes, but that was it.

Alex just shrugged as she placed the cigarette back into her mouth and took another drag from it.

"He won't tell," muttered the brunette.

"How do you know?" challenged Piper.

"Because...he just won't. Trust me."

Piper frowned. She did trust Alex, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Maybe she was crazy and turning back to her old ways when she stuck to the rules and freaked about doing anything bad.

She slumped herself against the wall beside where Alex stood. Her thoughts were racing on the possibility that Pornstache might spill to Red in some sort of stupid vengeful bravado. She knew he hadn't seen them doing anything really, but he did know that they were a couple. She also didn't know how Red would act if she found out. She was still a little iffy on that rule. Everyone made it seem like some sort of big deal, that if any coworkers dated they would surely be fired on the spot. However, Tricia and Mercy were still going strong, and Red hadn't done anything to them yet... Maybe the rule was some sort of myth, she thought. Like a childhood bedtime story, to induce fear and good behaviour in the long run.

Alex discarded the finished cigarette, abandoning it on the pavement before turning to Piper. She slid her hand around her waist, slipping her hand into the back pocket of Piper's skirt.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Huh?" Piper looked over at Alex in confusion before smiling weakly in response. "I...nothing..."

Alex finished that last thought by pressing her mouth hungrily to hers. She didn't want to talk about Pornstache or Red or anyone. She was much more interested in exploring the warm depths of her girlfriend's mouth.

"Alex," giggled Piper in between kisses. She rested her hands on Alex's hips as she pulled her closer against her.

They soon began to lose themselves in the kiss like they always ended up doing. Their tongues darted playfully around each other as hands explored beneath clothing. It was just them in the smelly, hot alleyway. It was in broad daylight and they were in a some what public area, but that didn't matter one bit.

However, it should have because as the couple slid into second base together, they were unaware of the sudden audience they had upon them. The backdoor must had not closed properly or something as they did not hear it open.

Red just glared at the couple as they continued to make-out. The Russian woman cleared her throat loudly trying to gain the couple's attention.

"Fuck," cursed Alex as she tore her lips away from Piper and realized Red was just a foot away from them. "Fuck," she cursed again as she took a step away from her girlfriend and continued to stare at Red in confusion that was suddenly threatening to become panic.

"Fuck is right," stated Red coldly in response.

* * *

Piper tried to catch Alex's eye, but the brunette was steadfastly ignoring her, busy in a staring contest with Red at the moment.

Alex didn't dare to look over at Piper as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped space that was Red's office. She didn't usually get intimidated or nervous easily, but she most definitely was sweating now. Red hadn't spoken a word since she had hurtled them into her office. Alex hated feeling like she was a kid again and being sent to the principal's office for talking back to the teacher.

Her heart was pounding against her chest as she continued to take in the older woman's icy cold gaze of disapproval. She didn't know quite what her boss was thinking or what she would say in respond to seeing her and Piper together.

"Red...I'm sorry," she stuttered as she ran a hand through her hair. "We...were..."

"I can't do shit with "I'm sorry"", replied Red as she pushed her glasses up onto her head and continued to look at Alex from her desk. "I don't want to hear your excuses and apologies. They'll get you nowhere here."

Alex opened her mouth to say something, but quickly clamped it shut. She knew there was no point in apologizing to the Russian. They had been caught red-handed, and now they had to deal with the fallout.

A deafening silence fell over them for a moment, and the tension in the air was beginning to feel suffocating. Both Piper and Alex feared what their punishment would be. Alex had never gotten a strike against her in all the years she had worked at Coyote.

"I'm assuming by the activity I witnessed outside that you two are some sort of a couple, yes?" Red's eyes passed from Alex to Piper and back.

"Yes," stated Piper in a nervous rush. She quickly glanced over at Alex before looking back at her boss. "That's true. Alex and I are dating...we are a couple."

She nervously tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she once again cast a desperate sideways glance over at Alex. She didn't know if she had just overstepped a line or not by admitting the truth. But what else was she supposed to do? Red had asked a question, and Piper, being the good girl she was, had told the truth. How else was she supposed to explain why Alex's tongue had been down her throat?

Red didn't reply right away to this. She just continued to look between the couple as if trying to figure out what to do with this fresh blanket of information. Red wanted to trust her girls. But she knew she had to do something in response to them breaking her no-dating-coworkers rule. The Russian woman knew that others dated a.k.a Mercy and Tricia. However, she had no actual proof to do anything about them, so she'd been letting them go so far. And she would have done the same with Alex and Piper. However, she had caught them in the act and couldn't just turn a blind eye now.

Something had to be done.

Especially to make sure that the couple would think twice about hooking up while on shift. This was a place of order and business still, as much as she thought as her girls as family and as her own. She still needed to show who was in charge.

"We're sorry we didn't come to you earlier about this...us as a couple. It just sorta happened. It's still kinda new, and..."

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Chapman!" Red interrupted coldly. "Like I said before. I can't do shit with "I'm Sorry". I know you are still new here, but I don't tolerate dating amongst you girls here. Consider this a warning."

Red was addressing both of them now. This was a warning. If they decided to fuck on her time again, she would fire both of their white asses faster than they could spin, no matter how much she cared for Alex and was starting to warm up to Piper. A rule was a rule, and they had disrespected her by breaking it.

Alex and Piper didn't dare to look at each other and continued to look at Red. They both were holding their breaths as if expecting the other shoe was about to drop or something. The blonde was sure she was going to get her ass fired. But Red hadn't say anything about anyone being fired? Just that this was a warning?

Red just blinked her eyes before slipping her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. She turned her attention away from the couple and began to looking through a pile of papers piled in front of her on the desk.

Piper and Alex didn't know quite what to do about this. They were both a little unsure about whether they had been dismissed or not yet from the office.

They stood there for an awkward second longer before finally catching each other's eye. Alex just shrugged her shoulders in response to the confused look on Piper's face. She didn't know really how to respond to all of this either.

"You can leave now," stated Red suddenly as she appeared over the rims of her glasses.

Piper and Alex didn't say another word to this and quickly began to leave the office. However, just as Piper was about to head into the hallway, Red called her back in.

"Chapman. Your request to have Saturday off has been denied. I need you that night," explained the Russian bluntly.

"What?!" cried Piper in shock. Red couldn't do that to her… "I need Saturday off. That's the night of my art show...I gave you a week's notice like you said to. You can't do this to me!" Piper knew she sounded like a child as she continued to look at Red in disbelief. But she couldn't help herself. She had done what she had been told to do. She even told Red she would work a double on both Friday and Sunday, as long as she got Saturday off for the opening night of her show. "This isn't fair!"

Red just looked at the blonde for a second. "Life isn't always fair."

Piper opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out. She was still in shock over the announcement of her needing to work Saturday. She felt the tears burning the back of her eyes, but she didn't dare to let them fall. She wouldn't lose it in front of her boss.

The blonde just left the office without another word. She ignored Alex as she stormed past her and headed into the bathroom.

She just needed a moment.


	19. Chapter 19

"Fucker! Fuck! Fuck!" cursed Piper as she stared at her reflection in the dingy bathroom mirror.

She had just royally fucked up. Her golden moment of becoming any sort of successful artist had just been thrown out the window with one moment of stupidity. She shouldn't have let Alex kiss her like that. She should've known better that someone would walk in on them. Especially with Pornstache's comment earlier on their relationship together.

"FUCK!" she cried as she buried her face into her hands. She supposed that this might not be such a big deal to most people, but it was a big deal to her. She was supposed to be there on opening night. It would look strange if she wasn't there. It would be like throwing a birthday party but not having the birthday girl there for it. It was her moment to shine, an opportunity to network and schmooze with all the important gallery owners and art people of the City. But she wouldn't be able to any of that now, because she had to fucking work.

Hot, angry tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. She was determined not to give up. She would talk to Red again, she thought. Not right away but some time before her shift was over. She would talk to Red, one-on-one and explain that she really needed the day off. She would get someone to cover it, she thought. There must be someone else that could work that day for her. Yes, Saturday were the busiest day out of the week at the bar... But hadn't Red just said that she needed her that night to punish her for being caught with Alex on principle? So she didn't really need her?

As she continued to stand there in the bathroom, composing herself, Piper made a vow to herself that she would stay clear of Alex for the rest of the night. She wouldn't talk to her, she promised. She wouldn't flirt or make eye contact with her girlfriend. She would do good and focus on her job, waiting tables. That was what she got paid for. Not for sneaking around and making out with the gorgeous bartender. She would show Red that her job was important to her and that she wanted to keep it.

The blonde knew she could get another waitressing job anywhere else, but she liked it here. Plus, she wasn't a quitter.

She was determined to stick it out here and show Red that she was a loyal, upstanding employee.

Feeling a little more confident than she had when she first stormed into the bathroom, Piper headed back into the hallway. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed that Alex wasn't there, waiting for her.

Piper knew though that they couldn't afford being caught by Red again. But even though she had just made herself vow to stay away from Alex for the rest of the evening, she still had kinda been expecting for Alex to be there, making sure that things between them were okay, that she was okay.

She glanced briefly over at the slightly ajar door of Red's office before gathering the strength to head back into the front area of the bar. There would be time to talk to her boss later. Right now, she had to work.

She took a deep breath as her eyes did a quick sweep of the room. Alex was at her usual place behind the bar, arranging liquor bottles. The brunette hadn't noticed her yet. She studied the back of her girlfriend's head for another second before noticing that another member of the waitressing staff had arrived, Mercy.

"Hey, Chapman!" called out the brunette. "What's up with you? You look like you've seen a fucking ghost or somethin'!" Mercy wore an amused look on her face as she approached the blonde.

Piper felt Alex's eyes on her, but she didn't look in her direction. She smiled weakly and shrugged her shoulders in response to Mercy's question. "I'm fine," she stated lamely. She liked Mercy, but she wasn't going to confess what was really bothering her. She didn't want anyone to know really about Red catching her and Alex. She knew how quickly news spread around this place. She wasn't ready to be on the blunt end of everyone's jokes again.

"Are you sure?'Cause you don't fuckin' look like it."

"Leave her alone, Mercy," Alex interrupted quietly from behind the bar.

It was at this that Piper finally met Alex's eye. The blonde was torn between being grateful towards her and being pissed off. She loved when Alex protected her, but this time she couldn't help but be a little annoyed. She wasn't some wallflower that needed to be protected all the time. She could handle herself, she thought bitterly.

"Aw! Blondie needs her girlfriend to protect her from big bad Mercy!" teased the brunette as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked towards Alex. "Don't get your knickers into a twist over there, Vause. I don't mean no harm. Just sayin' your girl looks pale and shit."

"I'm fine," stated Piper jumping in between them.

A tension fell over the trio of woman. Alex was staring at Piper, trying to read her thoughts while Piper continued to remind herself to avoid looking at her at all costs. Mercy looked back and forth between the couple, slowly sensing that she had stepped into something.

"Whatever," Mercy muttered before heading past them and into the back.

Alex waited for Mercy to be out of earshot before addressing her girlfriend. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Piper, her slight annoyance blooming again. How many times would she have to say it?

Alex's eyebrows rose up her forehead as she stared at Piper in surprise, taken aback a little by the blonde's snappiness. She knew she would be upset about not getting the night off for her art show, but hadn't anticipated that it would be directed at her.

"Hey," whispered Alex, softening her voice. "What's with the fucking attitude?"

"We just got caught! And that's all you have to say is, what's up with the fucking attitude?!" whispered Piper harshly as she leaned against the counter and glared at Alex. "You're unbelievable!"

Alex made sure that no one was listening before taking a step closer to the bar. She tried to reach out for Piper's hand but she pulled away from her before she could. The brunette didn't want to fight with her girlfriend. Especially not now at work. But she couldn't help feeling resentful over how Piper seemed to be blaming this all on her. This wasn't her fucking fault, she thought.

"We almost lost our jobs...I fucking have to miss my art show because of all this!" hissed Piper once again in a whisper.

"I'll talk to Red," stated Alex bluntly towards the blonde. She would talk to Red and smooth everything over. Red liked her. She wasn't as close to her as Nicky was, but it was still pretty tight between her and Red.

"I don't need you to do that." It was the blonde's turn to be brusque. "I can do that myself."

"Okay...?"

Piper didn't say another word to Alex. She didn't want to hash out all her problems with Alex now, not right before the early dinner crowd started to arrive. She really needed to do a good job tonight. Even though she had been at Coyote for over a month now, she still screwed up orders and spilled drinks every now and then.

* * *

Alex tried not to think about Piper as the night wore on. However, it was where her mind stubbornly lingered. She couldn't get the scene out of her head. From the heat of their bodies pressed up together in the humid air to Red's look of disapproval, to now the sudden and bewildering gulf between herself and her girlfriend. Everything had been going so well up until this point, and she bitterly hated how quick and easy it was for everything to get fucked up.

The brunette knew there was nothing she could really do to change things. What was done was done. However, she couldn't help but note the nagging at the back of her head that there was something. She knew she was only feeling this way because Piper was avoiding her with grim determination. They hadn't even exchanged their usual flirtatious banter when they worked together. Piper just blurted out her drink orders before immediately going off somewhere else.

But as the blonde approached her once again, Alex made an attempt to talk to her girlfriend.

"Hey." Her voice was low and gentle as she smiled at the blonde.

"I need a Coors," Piper said curtly, ignoring the look on Alex's face.

"Seriously?" The soft, loving look was gone and replaced with a increasingly pissed-off one.

"What?" asked Piper, oblivious to what Alex was getting at.

"You're seriously going to pretend like nothing happened?"

"No."

"Then talk to me, Pipes. Stop fucking ignoring me." Alex had been planning to wait until after their shift was done to bring this all up with her, but she couldn't ignore it any longer. She needed to make some attempt of conversation.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Yes. You. Are."

"No. I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. You won't even address me now. You're ignoring me."

"No. I'm just trying to do my fucking job."

Alex just held Piper's eye for a moment longer, debating on how to respond to this. Piper did have a point. They were at work and shouldn't be at all discussing this out in the open like this. But fuck it if she could help herself. She hated the fact that Piper was mad at her. And what made it worse was that Alex wasn't even sure what she had done exactly to make the blonde so angry.

"Whatever," she murmured in defeat, before turning her back to Piper and steadfastly filling up a clean glass with a bottle of Coors.

"Here," she stated coldly as she placed the glass down harder than she meant to, sending a wave of foam toppling out over the rim of the glass. "Fuck!" she swore as she pulled her hand which was now covered in beer away from the glass and wiped it on a nearby rag.

Piper didn't bother to say anything, much less a thank you as she took the now sticky glass, placed it on her tray and moved away from the bar.

* * *

"Excuse me? Red...Can I talk to you for a moment?" asked Piper as she hovered in the doorway of Red's office.

The Russian woman barely looked up at the blonde. She was once again absorbed in her paperwork, much of which was scattered across the surface of the desk.

"Make it quick," stated Red as she waved the blonde inside the small space.

Piper nervously bit the inside of her cheek as she took a step into the office. Opera played softly from the radio resting on the desk. The high intensity of the music added to the blonde's anxiety that she was already feeling. She knew she was at risk of losing her job by approaching Red like this, but she really felt like she has no other option here.

"I was just wondering...about earlier...about what you said...About Saturday," the blonde nervously stumbled over her words. Her tongue felt very heavy inside the cavern of her mouth as she tried to talk.

"You can't have the day off," cut in Red abruptly looking up at Piper.

"But...I don't think you understand. That's the night of my art show. My first proper art show since graduating from college. I understand that this is your life...the bar. But it isn't mine. I want to be an artist. And I need Saturday off. Please," she added lamely. She could feel her pulse racing as she studied the blank expression that Red was currently wearing. She knew she had overstepped a line or two there by saying that Red didn't understand. But she needed to make herself clear. She didn't need Saturday off for just anything. This was the start of her career they were talking about here. It was life-changing.

Red let out a sigh, studying the blonde that stood before her desk. She knew that Piper was desperate for Saturday off, and she didn't mean to be cruel by denying her the time off. However, she had broken one of her cardinal rules, and that simply couldn't go unpunished.

"I won't discuss this again with you," explained Red slowly as she lowered her glasses. "I need you for Saturday. Someone has already requested the day off before you have, and I need you to cover them. Or else we'll be short-staffed."

"Oh," was all Piper could muster in reply to this. She didn't know if Red was just making this up on the spot or not. This was the first time she was hearing about someone else requesting Saturday night off.

"Good night, Chapman!"

"Night," replied Piper back stupidly before leaving the office. She hated how deflated she felt currently as she walked through the back door of the bar. She knew that Alex would most likely be waiting for her outside at the front, but she didn't want to see her just yet. She was no longer that mad at Alex. Maybe it was due to this new bit of information she had just been told about or something else. But she was no longer in the mood to hold a grudge over her girlfriend. She realized it was selfish of her to blame getting caught by Red all on Alex.

Sure she had been the one to initiate the kiss, but Piper hadn't held back either.

A warm breeze greeted her as she pushed open the back door and stepped out into the alleyway. She stood for a brief moment, studying the scene of the crime in a sense before beginning to head towards the street.

A feeling of disappointment filled Piper's stomach as she saw no sign of her tall girlfriend anywhere outside the entrance of the bar. She couldn't pretend she wasn't surprised not to see Alex there, waiting for her. She had been kinda of an asshole towards her through out the night.

"Looking for your girlfriend?"

Piper turned to see Pornstache staring at her from his post at the entrance of the bar. He wagged his eyebrows suggestively at her.

The blonde just stared at him for a second before ignoring him completely. She turned and began to walk down the street away from the bar. She figured there was no point in lingering, wondering about whether Alex going to suddenly appear. It wasn't like they had plans or anything. It was just that they had this routine of leaving together if they both finished work at the same time. Sometimes they would go out to dinner and maybe a movie if anything good was playing. But most of the times they would just end up grabbing takeout somewhere and taking it back to one of theirs apartments.

Piper had been hoping it would be one of those nights. However, that hope was nursed way before all the shit had happened today. Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, she began the long trip to her apartment.

She was about halfway home when she felt the vibration of her cell phone through the material of her purse. Piper stopped walking abruptly at this, causing someone to suddenly walk into her from behind.

"Sorry," she murmured, barely looking over her shoulder at the stranger. She heard the person say something, but she couldn't make out what they said. Her attention was focused only on retrieving her phone from the bottom of her purse.

The lyrics of Hot Child In The City filled her ears as she pulled the phone out and immediately answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you?"

"ALEX?!"

"No stupid! It's Polly!"

"Oh... Hey."

"Geesh! Don't sound so happy to hear from me."

"Sorry. It's just been a fucking long day." Piper switched the phone to her other ear as she took a seat on an near by bench. She closed her eyes briefly, letting out a sigh before focusing on the phone conversation.

"What can I help you with?" she prayed that Polly wasn't calling her to discuss the wedding again. She didn't have the strength to have that conversation again.

"I was just calling to ask what time me and Pete should come down for on Saturday...for your big art show, Miss Artist!" Piper could hear the note of pride behind her friend's teasing. It pained her to have to tell Polly not to come down.

"Don't bother," Piper stated quietly.

"What? What do you mean, don't bother?"

"Don't bother coming in. There's not going to be an art show, Pol. Well...there is, but I won't be there."

"Why not?"

"It's...it's a long story," sighed Piper tiredly. She slumped her purse beside her on the bench as she leaned forward onto her elbows, resting them on her knees. She really didn't want to tell Polly that she had been caught hooking up with Alex by her boss while on the job and, because of that, had lost her day off.

"Okay...So I guess I won't be seeing you this weekend then?"

"No, you won't be," she replied sadly. "I have to work."

Piper continued to talk to Polly for a few moments longer before hanging up. As she put the phone back into her bag, a sense of loneliness came over her. She was away from her best friend and her family. It was just her in this big vast city she was still trying to feel at home in. She hated emotional she felt at the moment as tears rimmed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be feeling at all like this if Alex was here with her.

The blonde continued to sit there on the bench, watching the people flitter to and fro in a rush. She wondered where they were all off to. She wasn't really sure how long she sat there, people-watching, five minutes...ten...Maybe fifteen before she decided to make the last track of her trip home.

On her way home she stopped at the corner store, picking up her dinner for the night- a cup of noodles and a 2-liter bottle of root beer. She knew it was the dinner of choice for a college student and not a working girl like herself, but she could care less.

Piper thanked the elderly man behind the counter as he handed her the plastic bag filled with her dinner. She slid the handle of the bag around her wrist as she made her way back out onto the street.

There was only a block left to go now before she would be home.

She debated about painting, but she really didn't have the energy to touch it tonight. It just made her even more sad to think about how she wouldn't be able to see her painting hanging up amongst the others on Saturday.

Piper knew there would be others shows to come and probably even better ones. But she'd so been looking forward to this one. Not only was Polly going to make it down with Pete, but Cal, her younger brother said he would come out too. She had invited her parents, but they had politely declined the invitation. She hadn't been too upset about that though. She knew her parents wouldn't have felt comfortable being there. She still remembered how out of place they looked at her graduation exhibition of her thesis work. The Chapmans didn't fit well in the art world. Alex said she would come, even though she had been slated to work Saturday too. The brunette had told Piper that she had gotten Big Boo to come in early and cover the last few hours of her shift so that she could at least be there for some of the opening night.

A feeling of sadness once again washed through her as she thought about her girlfriend. She vowed to be the bigger person here and would call Alex as soon as she got into her apartment.

But she wouldn't have to do that because Alex was standing right in front of her apartment as she approached it.

"Alex."

"Hey," replied Alex as she pushed herself off of the wall and took a step forward at seeing the blonde. She nervously adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she continued to look at Piper.

"What are you doing here?" Piper knew it was a stupid question to ask, but this was the last thing she had expected to come home to after with how things had transpired earlier that night.

"I know you're mad," interrupted Alex as she took another step towards her girlfriend. "I just want to talk, Pipes...Maybe this was a bad idea...showing up like this..." God, she was nervous. She could feel her pulse racing as Piper continued to study her in silence. She was trying to figure out what she was thinking at this moment but was uncharacteristically struggling. "I waited for you after work, but when you didn't show...I thought I would just beat you home."

"I waited for you too," murmured Piper softly.

"You did?"

"Yeah," explained Piper. "I went to talk to Red first, and when I came out and didn't see you...I waited a bit before heading home."

Alex nodded her head in response to this. "I'm sorry, Piper."

"No, it isn't your fault," replied Piper with a slight shake of her head. "You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry, and I am. I was the one who was a complete jerk tonight."

"I should have known better then to kiss you like that..."

"How were you to know that Red would show up right then?" argued Piper. "It's not your fault, Alex. We're both at fault."

"I guess..." replied Alex, still not convinced. She still heavily blamed herself for Red walking in on them, especially since she had told Piper to trust her. "I'm sorry about your show. I promise I'll talk to Red tomorrow and get it straightened out."

"Don't bother. It's a lost cause. I already tried. Apparently, I wouldn't have gotten the day off anyways...even if she hadn't caught us."

"I don't understand."

"Apparently someone else requested Saturday off just before me, and you know, first come, first serve," Piper shrugged her shoulders sadly at this.

"I'm still going to talk to her," muttered Alex. "You should have the day off."

"You don't have to. It's okay, Alex." The blonde smiled softly at Alex as she enclosed the remaining space between them.

Alex opened her mouth to rebut this, but before she could, she felt the softness of Piper's lips press against her.

Piper was done talking about Saturday, at least for tonight. She just wanted to enjoy her noodles and root beer and think about nothing important for the rest of the night. She wrapped her arm around Alex's neck, leaning into her tall frame.

Alex immediately responded by resting her hands on Piper's hips, pulling her closer in. The kiss quickly grew as passion stirred between them. They were both happy that everything was okay between them yet again.

"NO! NO! NO KISSING!"

The couple immediately broke apart at the sudden intrusion and looked at the short, but angry Chinese man currently yelling at them.

"THIS A FAMILY PLACE!" he yelled, pointing up to the restaurant sign above his head. "NO KISSING! YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

Piper tried to hold back her laughter as she looked at her landlord. "Sorry, Mr. Chen."

"YOU GO!" He waved his hands once again at Piper and Alex to get away from the front of his restaurant.

"Yes, Mr. Chen. We're going." Piper smiled apologetically at the older man before taking Alex by the wrist and leading her the short distance to her front door. Mr. Chen continued to watch the couple like a hawk as Piper unlocked the door and they finally disappeared from his sight.

Alex waited until the door was closed behind them before bursting out with laughter, "Oh my fucking God!"

"He's really a nice man," explained Piper, defending her landlord.

"By his fucking reaction, you would've thought we had been naked pressed up against the window or something!" The brunette couldn't get over the man's reaction to just one little kiss.

"Come on," whispered Piper as she took Alex by the wrist and began to lead her up the stairs to her apartment door.

"NO KISSING!" mimicked Alex as she leaned into Piper.

"Please, don't do that!" laughed Piper as she looked over at Alex while she attempted to put the key into the lock. "I won't be able to kiss you ever again without thinking of my landlord, and that's really not something I want to picture."

"No kissing," whispered Alex teasingly into Piper's ear again.

Piper just rolled her eyes at Alex as she opened the front door and pulled Alex inside the apartment.


	20. Chapter 20

"Bon Appétit!" cried Piper as she made her way out of her kitchen and over to the couch where Alex was currently sitting.

"What the fuck is this?" asked Alex as she took the bowl of noodles from Piper.

"It's ramen," stated Piper as she climbed over the armrest of the couch, being careful not to spill her own bowl of noodles, and sat down next to Alex.

"This isn't fucking ramen," huffed Alex as she looked down at the stringy noodles in a pool of water.

"Well, that's what it says on the box!" insisted the blonde.

"One day, I'll take you out for real ramen and not this sad excuse," replied Alex as she looked up and smirked at Piper.

"Oh, are you?" asked Piper with interest. "You still owe me a wooing!"

Alex simply cocked an eyebrow and stared at her girlfriend at this. "I woo you all the time, you ass!" She then playfully shoved the blonde. "Just eat your ramen."

"You said it wasn't ramen though," Piper teased back. She loved to push Alex's buttons like this. She was in a good mood. Despite everything that had happened earlier on at work. She just wanted to have fun tonight.

Alex rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the steamy bowl of noodles still in her hands. Leaning forward, Piper pecked the side of her cheek before turning to her own bowl.

A comfortable silence fell over the couple as they ate.

"So...you're really going to talk to Red for me?" asked Piper as she looked over at Alex with curiosity.

"Yeah...Why?" asked Alex through a mouthful of noodles.

Piper just shrugged and looked down into the depths of the bowl. She felt very shy all of a sudden underneath Alex's gaze. "You don't have to," she murmured as she looked back up.

"But I want to," spoke Alex, slowly. "You should be at your art thing." Her eyes studied Piper's face, tracing every inch of her features before landing on her eyes. Her voice was soft and honest. She knew she didn't have much of a chance of changing Red's mind on the matter, but it was worth a shot, she thought. It would at least make her feel less guilty about Piper having to miss her art show. She knew it was a big deal for Piper, and she didn't want her to miss it just because of work. At the end of the day, waitressing wasn't going to be Piper's full-time career.

"Thank you," whispered Piper in reply. She placed her bowl of noodles onto the coffee table, abandoning it as she leaned forward to kiss Alex. What Alex was offering to do was so sweet. She knew it wasn't much, but she found it touching nonetheless.

Alex responded quickly to the kiss. Still holding her bowl in her hand, she brought her free one up to cup the side of Piper's face. Their lips pressed softly against each other, opening and closing.

Time seemed to slow as the kiss escalated like a low tremble.

* * *

"Where do you want these?" asked Alex, holding up the now cold bowls of ramen.

"Just put them in the sink," replied Piper as she looked over her shoulder at the brunette. "I'll deal with them in the morning."

"Okay," answered Alex as she moved into the kitchen. She placed the bowls into the sink, which was already filled with dirty dishes. "Chapman, you've already got like ten dishes in here. Do you ever do your dishes?"

"I do," snapped back Piper. "I just haven't gotten around to them yet."

Alex just laughed in reply to this. "Who knew you were such a dirty girl?"

"Keep it in your pants, Vause."

"Don't give me that tone, kid. I know you want what's in my pants." Alex quirked an eyebrow as she slowly enclosed the space between them. "You already did have it once tonight..." A smug grin slowly crept across her features as she pushed her glasses off of her face and reached out for Piper.

Piper locked eyes with her girlfriend as she felt her arms suddenly wrap around her frame. "Shut up," she whispered, pretending to be mad and disgusted with Alex. However, she was feeling the complete opposite as the heat of the brunette's hands pressed into her lower back. She did want what was in Alex's pants. Or even better, she wanted Alex to want what was currently in _her_ pants.

She knew she was going to lose this battle as Alex began to nibble on her ear, and she began to get lost in the sensation of the soft wetness of Alex's tongue circling the metal of her earring as the brunette's lips sucked on the base of the skin. The blonde's eyes rolled back as a low tremor of a moan emanated from her throat. She melted into the taller woman's embrace as she continued to assault her neck.

"That's right," whispered Alex. "Tell me how much you like it...you _dirty_ girl."

Alex blew hot air against Piper's neck as her hands crept up inside her shirt and began to unhook the clasp of her bra. The blonde laced her fingers through Alex's long dark locks as pleasure began to tremble in her stomach. She loved when Alex talked to her like that. She usually found dirty talk to be cheesy and unappealing, but when Alex did it, it was totally different. Maybe it was the deep, rasp of her voice or just her overall hotness. Piper didn't give it too much more thought.

She crashed her mouth hungrily against Alex's, roughly parting her lips and curling her tongue around hers.

They fell onto the couch together, Alex straddling Piper. It was a position they rarely found themselves in. However, when it did happen, it was a treat. Piper loved the feel of Alex's weight on her, pinning her down like it was currently.

Their months continued to open and close against each other as Alex slid one of her legs in between Piper's thighs while her other bent and rested on the seat of the couch. She had one hand on the back of the couch while the other cupped her breast.

It only took a few moments before the friction between them became unbearable. "Fuck me," whispered Piper breathlessly. She wanted to feel Alex's hands all over her body. She had built-up tension in her body that needed to be released now.

The corners of Alex's mouth curled into a lustful smirk at hearing her girlfriend's need. "Dirty, dirty girl," she whispered between kisses.

Her eyes lit up as she eagerly pulled Piper's top up and off of her, pushing her down onto her back in the bodies once again came into contact with each other. Piper let out a low, drawn-out moan as Alex took in a sharp breath as she stretched along her.

Piper lifted her chin and began to nuzzle, lick, and nibble at the side of Alex's neck. Alex closed her eyes briefly at feeling the feverish touches of her girlfriend's mouth.

She stayed like this for a moment, pressing into Piper before pushing herself off of her, staring down at her bare chest. Her palms grazed her nipples and the blonde bucked wildly from the brief contact. She looked at Piper, as if astonished at the response she'd elicited from her, even though this response wasn't anything new. Her mouth slid into a naughty grin before she bent her neck to give Piper's left nipple one slow, agonizing lick.

The blonde pushed her head back against the couch cushions and opened her mouth to moan, but no sound came out. Piper could feel Alex's hand at the top of her thighs, caressing. Her body was on fire by this point. She just wanted Alex just to get it over with and go down on her. Looking up at Alex, she slipped her hands up her shirt and went to unclasp her bra. She momentarily congratulated herself for doing it in one smooth move. She was still kind of getting used to the whole bra clasp thing, even though she had been wearing a bra herself since she was thirteen.

"Take it off," spoke Piper urgently, not caring how desperate she sounded at the moment.

Alex once again smirked as she did what she was told and sat up on Piper. She winked at the blonde as she stared up at her, watching with lustful eyes as she removed her shirt and bra from her body. They stayed like this for a moment, gazing hungrily at one another before continuing.

Alex took the moment to grab the soft cotton shorts that Piper had changed into and roughly pulled it down her legs, taking her panties with them. As they moved back to each other, naked flesh on denim, the feeling was once again intensely electric. They both felt it as they writhed and rubbed their bodies against one another on the couch.

It was all that Piper could do to shut her eyes tightly to try and savour the feeling even more as Alex mouth returned to her nipple again. Teasing, licking, biting, flicking the hard tip of it with her tongue before almost taking the whole breast in her mouth.

Piper pulled Alex back up for another kiss, who was completely laying on top of her, their bodies aligned. Their nipples touched and Alex let out a surprising wild gasp in response. She wasn't usually as vocal as Piper was, but the brunette couldn't help herself at the moment. Covering Piper's mouth with her own again, she rubbed her chest against the blonde's again, allowing for their nipples make contact again and again.

Liquid fire seemed to wash through Alex's loins, making her buck and writhe against her girlfriend's body again. Her leg landed in between Piper's, her thigh pressing into her crotch.

Piper jerked her head back suddenly against the cushions of the couch and cried at the intensity of sensation. Her cunt throbbed between her legs, craving more of the contact from Alex's thigh.

Alex smiled as she brushed her lower regions once again against the blonde's. She flexed her hips slowly, teasing her girlfriend. Piper seemed no longer in control herself as she once again lifted her head and started to lick at wherever her mouth could reach.

Alex's ear, her neck, her collarbone, her throat.

They continued for a couple of moments before Alex began to make her way down the length of Piper's body, kissing the smooth, warm skin of her navel. Piper's eyes were bright, looking at Alex in anticipation as the woman made her way down to her sex.

Holding Piper's gaze, Alex moved her tongue even lower, slowly circling her navel. She could smell Piper's powerful, musky arousal as she put her nose in the crook of the blonde's thigh.

Alex stared deeply into her eyes, constantly watching her response as she slowly ran her tongue all the way up her slit. Piper's eyes grew wide for a second before closing completely. The brunette continued to study her girlfriend's reactions as her lips parted, the pinkness of her tongue sticking out. She waited to listen for Piper's whimpers, but no sound came out. Alex then pushed the blonde's legs apart and start feasting on her, licking her all over her sex. She flicked her clit with the tip of her tongue, finally earning a vocal response from Piper, finally releasing that pent-up groan.

It is low and raw and so fucking sexy, thought Alex.

Alex alternated short and long licks on Piper's pussy, circling her clit then flicking it, sucking on it before taking it into her mouth and rolling it on her tongue. Piper moaned and whimpered. Alex's touch at the moment felt so damn good. Her thighs began to shake as her whole pussy pulsed against her girlfriend's talented tongue.

Alex decided to give her what she needed quickly, not teasing her as long as she usually did. Piper froze for a second, not breathing as she suddenly sat up. Her eyes were still closed as she flexed her hips off of the couch and against Alex's mouth. She let out a low animal-like moan that sounded like it came deep from her belly.

"AHHH! FUCKKK! ALEE-"

Alex eased up on her, the licking turning tender and loving as she heard Piper's breathing slow down somewhat. She hovered over Piper for a few moments longer, making sure she was done before kissing her way up. Piper's eyes were still shut, but there was a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips.

"Oh. My. God," Piper breathed out. Opening her eyes to look at Alex, they were still somewhat glazed. Alex just smiled and kissed her, tenderly.

"Dirty girl," she whispered.

Piper just smiled lazily in response to this. She didn't care if she was a dirty girl or not at this moment.

The couple shared another kiss before Piper suddenly sat up.

"Where's the fire, kid?" asked Alex in amusement.

"No fire," replied Piper as she rose to her feet. She turned around and placed her hands on Alex's thighs, leaning in and kissing her again. "Now take off those pants."

Alex cocked an eyebrow in response to this. She studied the blonde for a second before standing up and doing as she was bid. Her eyes never left Piper's face as her hands went to the fly of her jeans and began to undo them. She took her time, pushing them down her hips, sliding her panties with them.

"Happy?" she smirked as she stepped out of her jeans and kicked them to the side. She was now fully naked in front of her girlfriend.

"Yes," whispered Piper as she leaned forward and pecked Alex on the lips. She then took the brunette by the hand and lead her into the bathroom.

"What are we doing in here?" asked Alex as Piper let go of her hand and shut the door.

"It's bath time," spoke Piper with a smile.

"Bath time?"

"Yeah," replied the blonde as she moved around Alex and leaned over the side of the tub. "It's bath time."

"Okay," murmured Alex as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall of the bathroom. She wasn't going to argue over taking a bath with Piper. As she continued to stand there, admiring her girlfriend's backside, the room filled with the sound of running water.

Piper loved to take baths, and sharing one with Alex was one of the things she had been wanting to do for a while. The couple had shared brief showers before but never a full-fledged bath. She knew it was a little sad to admit, but she was really looking forward to this.

She poured some bubble bath into the running water. It was a mixture of her own making. Polly had left a bottle of shower of gel here when she had come to visit, and the blonde had a little bit left from a bottle of her own. She had mixed the two remaining liquids together, giving her half of a bottle of a new concoction. The room soon filled with the scent of vanilla and shea butter.

"That smells nice," whispered Alex as she came up behind Piper and wrapped her arms around the blonde's torso.

Piper smiled as she leaned into Alex's embrace. She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the warmth of Alex's body against her.

"You first," spoke Piper as she turned the water off and gestured for Alex to get into the now-filled bath.

Alex smiled and pecked the blonde on the cheek before slipping her legs into the hot water and taking a seat.

"Come here," she mouthed as she caught Piper's eye and stretched her arms out onto the parallel edges of the tub.

Piper's eyes darkened in arousal as she took in the sight of the brunette in the soapy bath water. With her lower half covered in bubbles and the blue ends of her hair falling down her chest, Alex looked like some sort of mermaid, she thought.

"Come here," laughed Alex as Piper continued to stand there looking at her.

Piper offered a small grin as she quickly twisted her own long hair and clipped it with a plastic black hair clip, which had been resting on the edge of the sink. She used to the clip to hold her hair when she washed her face and did her make-up.

"I'm coming. I'm coming," she murmured as she finally got into the tub and sat in between Alex's outstretched legs.

"I will gladly make that happen," teased Alex, encircling Piper's waist with her arms.

"Shut up!"

Alex just chuckled in response before nuzzling her nose into Piper's shoulder. She placed kisses along the edge of it, breathing in the notes of vanilla. This was nice, she thought. She never considered herself a bath person. She had never really seen the point in sitting in a pool of her own filth, really. However, she could get used to this, having a wet, naked Piper between her legs.

* * *

Music from the jukebox vibrated against the walls as Alex made her way towards Red's office. It was the middle of her shift, and she was supposed to be going on break, but she was taking this time to talk to her boss. She knew Piper didn't want her to talk to her, thinking it was going to make it worse. However, she knew Red better than she did.

Alex thought she had a chance of persuading the stern Russian woman in letting Piper have the night off on Saturday. Sure, they might be a little short-staffed without the blonde working that night, but Alex knew they would manage. Nicky and Mercy were both working that night and could easily handle the busy Saturday night crowd that occupied the bar. They had done it numerous times before, and they could again.

The brunette chewed slightly on her bottom lip as she knocked on Red's door, which had been slightly ajar. She waited a moment before pushing it open and sticking her head inside the small office place.

"Hey, Red," she spoke, her eyes falling onto the vibrant red hair spiking from the top of the older woman's bent-over head.

"Vause!" stated Red as she looked up and appeared over her glasses at Alex.

"Can I talk to you?" asked Alex nervously as she took a small step into the office. She once again couldn't help but feel like she was entering the principal's office or something. She had known Red for years, and they had never had a real problem before with each other. Alex wanted to do good by Red. However, she thought that she was being unfair to Piper by not allowing for to have Saturday off.

"Sure," stated Red as she removed her glasses and allowed them to hang from the purple braided cord around her neck. She leaned back against her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and looked up at the brunette. She had a pretty good idea already why Alex was here but waited for her to explain her case.

Alex shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and stared at the other woman for a second.

"Look," she began. "I know you're upset about me and Piper dating. And are punishing her for that by not allowing her to have Saturday night off. Even though she booked it off way beforehand."

Alex paused briefly, waiting for Red to say something. However, she didn't. The Russian woman just stared coldly at Alex, waiting for her to go on.

"It's her big night," continued Alex. "I don't know if you know this. But she's an artist. I don't mean that in like a loose term. She is fucking talented. And she was looking forward to Saturday. It's her first big art exhibit. That's why she first moved to the City. To be an artist, and I don't think you're being fair, you know..."

Red just raised a stern eyebrow at this.

Alex was quiet for a moment, unsure if Red was going to say something or not. She wasn't really sure where she was going with all this talk about Piper's passion and talent, not having really prepared what she was going to say to convince the Russian woman to change her mind. The brunette knew she could be pretty manipulative and convincing when she wanted to be. However, Red was a different story.

"Go on," gestured Red towards Alex.

"Ok..." replied Alex. "I know you say that our first priority when working at Coyote is Coyote. And I understand that completely. I do. Work is important. You don't grow up with a mom who works four jobs just to put food on the table to not understand how important it is to keep a job and earn money. However, you do have to take some time to play too. You know, work hard. Play hard. right?"

"You've always been flexible with people's schedules and allowing them to take off days when needed. Like when Big Boo requested each Monday off, so she could take Little Boo to obedience school. Or last year, when Nicky decided to go back to school to try to be an electrician...even though that failed miserably."

Red couldn't help but smile at the thought of Nicky trying out a career in the trades. It had only lasted for a few months, but it had been a long few months as they all put in their effort to pick up the slack.

"The point is...you've been supportive of all our other interests, " continued on Alex. "And allowing Piper to have Saturday off would be doing just that."

"So you think I should give special treatment to your girlfriend, just because her interests lie somewhere outside of the bar?" asked Red slowly. "That's she's going to be some sort of famous artist, and we should all bow down to that?"

"No. That's not what I fucking mean at all. Sorry," added Alex as she realized she swore. "I'm saying...she should have Saturday off because she requested it off...like a week ago."

"Yes. She requested it off. That doesn't mean she gets to have it off. You know that, Vause. Days requested off aren't guaranteed. And Chapman's request just got denied. Tricia asked for the day off first, and it's first come, first serve. You know that," added Red again. She was getting bored with this conversation quickly.

Alex reached up and adjusted her glasses. She pursed her lips debating on how to respond to all this. She did know the first come first serve request rule that Red had in place. However, like most rules, she thought it should be broken every now and then.

"Look, if you really need an extra hand on Saturday, I'll gladly pull a double and serve and wait tables at the same time," offered Alex after a moment of silence passed between them. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before. When she had first started to train as a bartender, Red had made her continue her waitressing duties until someone had been hired to take over the load.

Red studied Alex for a moment before replying. "You must really love her." It wasn't a question at all but a very bold statement. However, it was a statement that wasn't too far from the truth. The older woman had known Alex for a few years now and had seen her strut and flirt with any beautiful woman that came through the bar doors. Like Nicky, Alex was a player and, to be honest, wasn't really good at relationships. However, she could see just by the way that Alex was trying so hard to convince Piper to have Saturday off, that this relationship wasn't just a fling. The brunette, even if she didn't admit it, loved her.

Alex couldn't help but smirk and looked down at her feet at this. Her nerves once again surfaced in her stomach. This time she wasn't nervous over Red but over what she had said. Was it really that clearly written on her face that she was falling for Piper? That she did love her, even though she hadn't exactly admitted it to herself yet.

* * *

Piper hummed along to the song playing currently from the jukebox as she began to move the mop across the floors.

The last customer had just left, and they were now officially closed for the night. It was just her, Red and Alex left at the bar. Everyone else had gone home earlier. Piper figured she and Alex were still being punished for what had happened yesterday. She wondered how long it would go on for?

They all worked in silence for a few moments as Piper made her way around the bar, mopping the forever-sticky, wooden floors while Alex counted the tills. The couple hadn't spoken a word to each other throughout the night. They were avoiding each other, not because they were mad at one another. Not like last night. But because they wanted to be respectful towards Red and to show her that they did care about keeping their jobs.

The blonde looked briefly up at Alex as she felt her eyes on her. She was itching to ask her how her talk with Red had gone. She hadn't heard either way if she still had to work Saturday or not. She was assuming that nothing would change the Russian's mind on the matter, regardless of how many double shifts she offered to work and such.

"CHAPMAN!" cried out Red suddenly as she appeared from the back.

Piper couldn't help but jump slightly at this. She immediately tore her eyes away from Alex and onto the fiery redheaded woman staring at her. "Yes, Red?" she asked as she took a step towards her boss.

"I forgot to tell you that I reconsidered your request," explained Red.

"Request?" asked the blonde nervously.

"Yes. Some things have changed regarding Saturday, and I no longer need you to work," replied Red.

"What?" cried Piper in confusion, making sure she had heard right. "I don't have to work Saturday?! I don't understand."

"You no longer need to work Saturday," repeated Red with a slight smirk on her face.

"But...you said...you said we were short-staffed...I don't understand...what happened?"

"There's nothing to understand," stated Red, simply.

"Thank you!" cried out Piper as she dropped the mop and enclosed the space between her and Red. She embraced her boss suddenly in joy at hearing this.

"Enjoy your art show," said Red briskly as she patted Piper on the shoulder.

"Thank you," whispered Piper again as she pulled away from the hug.

"Don't thank me, Chapman. Thank Vause," explained Red as she looked over at the brunette who had her head bent over, still counting a wad of bills. She had decided to take Alex up on the offer of having her serve and waitress on Saturday night.

Piper shifted her attention away from Red and over to Alex at this. "Alex?"

"She offered to work your shift," spoke Red before disappearing back into her office.

Piper waited until Red was gone before moving towards Alex. The brunette, who had heard their whole conversation before hand looked up and locked eyes with her girlfriend.

"You took my shift." The blonde's voice was barely above a whisper as she stated this. She was a little overwhelmed that Alex had willingly offered to take her shift, so that she could be at her show.

"Don't get all emotional on me," spoke Alex with a smile. "I don't think I can handle that." She knew she was being a wise ass, but she didn't want Piper to make a big deal about this.

Piper was quiet for a moment as she stared at the brunette before shoving her in the shoulder. "Your an ass!"

A wide grin spread across Alex's face at this. She liked when Piper got feisty.

The couple continued to stare at each other for a second longer before Piper was leaning over the bar and kissing Alex quickly on the lips. "

Thank you," whispered the blonde as she pulled away. "You ass!" Her eyes gleamed with amusement as took a step away from Alex and went back to her mop, which was still lying on the floor.


	21. Chapter 21

Piper kissed Alex roughly on the lips before pushing her down onto the bed and straddling her. Her hands immediatly slid up the surface of her shirt and pawed at her breasts.

Alex couldn't help, but laugh at the blonde's eagerness. They had barely just gotten home from work when she pulled her into the bedroom. The blonde smiled down at her before beginning to attack her neck. Her lips kissed and licked down her collar bone to her shoulder.

Alex rested her hands on Piper's hips while she continued to go to town. She knew that her girlfriend wanted to thank her in her own special way for taking the shift on Saturday. And she wasn't complaining. She liked when Piper was the aggressive one in the bedroom. She moved her hands slowly over Piper's ass, cupping her through the material of the skirt. Her eyes closed as she allowed for the feeling of Piper's warm hands on her body to take over.

Their mouths hungrily cashed together as their bodies stretched and pressed into each other. Their tongues darted urgently over and under one another, further exploring the concaves of each others mouths. Hands pulled at clothing wanting it off. The need to feel flesh against flesh burned deeply inside of each of them.

Piper couldn't help but giggle as Alex's long fingers tracked up her sides, tickling her. Alex smirked into the kiss as she repeated the movement.

"Alex..."

"What?" smirked Alex, as she continued to tease the blonde.

"Alex...stop it..." Piper tried to sit up and pull Alex's hands away from her. However, the brunette was too strong for her. Alex circled her hands around Piper's wrists as she used the muscles in her legs to flip the blonde onto her back.

"You're so easy," teased Alex as she looked down at Piper.

Piper just stared at her girlfriend for a second before lifting her head and forcing her tongue once again into the depth of Alex's mouth. She didn't want to talk any longer. She was horny and wanted to fuck.

Alex didn't argue with this as she kissed Piper back, sliding her thigh in between her legs.

The couple continued to kiss heavily for a few moments longer before Alex slowly let go of Piper's wrists, which before hand had been pinned above her head. The brunette pressed her lips to Piper's jaw before making her way down the side of her neck.

Piper couldn't help but wither and moan underneath Alex at this gesture. She was suppose to be doing her but was failing. She hated how easily distracted she could get. She tried to make herself focus as Alex's lips continued to roughly kiss her neck. She could feel her arousal building as one of Alex's hands began to explore underneath her shirt.

_Focus Chapman_ , she spoke inwardly to herself as she snaked her arms around Alex's waist, sliding her hands underneath the waistband of her jeans. She wanted, needed to show her girlfriend how thankful she was for what she had done for her today. Her hands grabbed at Alex's ass cheeks.

"Babe," moaned out Alex.

Piper smirked at hearing this response. She still loved when Alex called her that.

* * *

"So you're really working two shifts tonight, Vause?" asked Nicky with deep interest as she took a seat on one of the bar stools. It was Saturday night and the bar had opened just over an hour ago. At the moment the bar was still quiet. There were only a few customers scattered around the tables.

Alex glanced over her shoulder at her friend and smiled. "Yeah," she stated, not seeing what the big deal was. It's not like it hadn't been done before. "Don't fucking look at me like that!"

"I'm not looking at you like anything," replied Nicky smugly.

"I know what you think of me," spoke Alex as she turned around and placed a glass in front of Nicky. "You think that I'm being stupid."

"Hey! No one said anything about being stupid," cried Nicky in defiance. The brunette was anything, but stupid. "Whipped and in love, maybe...not stupid."

"You're an ass!" Alex smacked her left hand against Nicky's shoulder while her right hand reached for a bottle of whiskey.

"At least, I'm not a whipped ass in love!" replied Nicky, smugly. She loved to get underneath her friend's skin like this.

Alex just glared at Nicky for a second before ignoring her completely and going back to making her drink. She knew her friend would give her a hard time once she found out about her working Piper's shift tonight.

"I'm not whipped," stated Alex as she handed the drink over to Nicky.

"Whatever you say," laughed Nicky as she jumped off of the stool and began to walk away from the bar with the drink.

Alex let out a sigh as she watched Nicky walk away. She was not whipped, she thought. She had just done a nice thing for her girlfriend, that was all. She hated how everyone thought that she was acting somewhat different now that she was in a relationship with Piper.

As she began to serve a new customer, who had taken a seat in the stool that Nicky had just been seated in, the bar phone began to ring.

"Coyote Bar," spoke Alex into the old black dial phone on the wall.

"Alex!" cried out Piper in excitement.

"Hey Babe," greeted back Alex. She couldn't help, but smile at hearing her girlfriend's voice. Her eyes scanned around the bar, making sure that there was no waiting customers before turning her back.

"How's it going?"

"I dunno. It's goin'," laughed Alex. "How's the show going?"

"It hasn't started yet," replied Piper softly. "I just wanted to phone and say Hi before I left for the gallery."

"Hi," whispered back Alex.

"Hi," whispered Piper.

"So...What are you wearing?"

"Hahaha, wouldn't you like to know?!"

"Yeah," spoke the brunette. "That's why I asked. What are you wearing?"

"Well, at the moment I'm not wearing anything," teased Piper in a sultry voice. "I just got out of the bath...what do you think I _should_ wear?"

Alex couldn't help, but groan as the image of her wet naked girlfriend flashed in her mind.

"I was thinking about wearing that red dress with the plunging neckline that I wore last week on our date ," continued on Piper. "What do you think?"

"Kid, you're killing me," replied Alex. She knew exactly what dress that Piper was referring too. She remember how that date hadn't got much further than Piper's front door.

"What? I thought you loved that dress?" asked Piper, playing dumb. "You even kept it on me for most of the time we were..."

"PIPER!" cried out Alex, cutting her off.

Piper just ended up laughing in response to Alex at this. She always had fun rattling her girlfriend up like this. "But seriously...what should I wear? I don't know what one wears to an art opening? Should I wear all black and be a stereotypical artist or wear something crazy and colourful and be a stereotypical artist again?"

"Kid, no one cares what you wear," replied Alex. "Wear whatever the fuck you want. You're hot. You look good in anything...or nothing else at all."

"So you think I should just go like I am now," spoke Piper into the phone. "Parade around naked?"

"I'm sure people have done worse things at an art opening," joked Alex, wrapping the cord of the phone around her finger. "Just say it's a performance piece."

"Fuck you," replied Piper. Here she was nervous as ever and trying to get Alex's honest opinion and Alex was being her usual ass self. However, as much as it pissed her off, it made her smile all the same.

"Okay...baby," spoke Alex as she looked over her shoulder to see Nicky smirking at her. "I would love to stay and chat, but I should get back to work."

"Nicky's right there, isn't she?" asked Piper, cluing in on Alex's sudden change of tone.

"Yeah," laughed Alex. "But I really should get back to work."

"I really wish you were coming with me tonight," whispered Piper after a moment. "I'm going to miss you."

"You'll do awesome, babe." Alex knew that Piper was a little nervous about going to her show alone, but she wouldn't be that alone. Polly and Pete where coming down like originally planned, as well as her younger brother. "You'll kick some art ass."

"You aren't going to miss me?"

"Of course I will."

"Well, you have to say it back," spoke Piper slowly. "Or else it doesn't count."

"Pipes," murmured Alex.

"Alex... _say_ it," whined the blonde.

Alex pursed her lips and looked down at her feet at this. She knew what Piper was doing. The blonde knew that Nicky was here, listening in on their conversation.

"Alex...I'm not hanging up until I hear you say it," spoke Piper.

"Fine," huffed Alex as she looked up to see Nicky grinning ear to ear at her. The brunette just glared at her for a second before turning her back to her. "I'm going to miss you, tonight."

"Shit!" swore Piper after a second had passed. "I really got to get ready."

Alex just laughed in response to this. "Kick ass tonight, kid!"

"What?" asked Alex as she hung up the phone and turned to see Nicky once again grinning at her. "Have you never seen someone make a phone call or something?"

Nicky just laughed in response to Alex's little remark. " _Aw_ , is someone upset?" The smaller woman pouted out her lower lip as Alex continued to glare at her. "Are you missing your girlfriend?"

Alex rolled her eyes and just moved away from where Nicky sat. She knew that this would just be the beginning of Nicky's endless teasing for the rest of the night.

" _Aw_ , Allie Wallie is missing her _little_ girlfriend!"

Alex was very tempted to give the finger to Nicky, however just at the moment a customer choice to take a seat and order a drink. She was grateful for this interruption as she grabbed a clean glass and got back to work.

* * *

Conversation buzzed around Piper as she stood in the corner of the small art gallery milking a glass of red wine.

It was her fourth glass and she was trying to make it last. She didn't plan on getting drunk tonight and making a fool out of herself in front of all the important art gallery owners, who she was trying to impress. However, she was just so bored. It had been fun for the first hour or two but now that it was approaching the end of the night, she just wanted to go home.

"Hey, there you are," spoke Polly as she approached Piper. "I thought we lost you to that art dealer guy."

"Yeah," agreed Piper as she smiled at her friend. "He was a little creepy. Luckily, some red head with big boobs caught his attention instead."

"I guess it's a good thing that girlfriend of yours isn't here then?" joked Pete, Polly's fiancé.

Piper smiled weakly before taking a sip of wine. Pete had been making comments like that all night about her having a girlfriend. At first it had been funny, but now it was just getting old.

"Oh Pete. Don't start that again," complained Polly as she looked over at Pete. "We've been through this. Yes, Piper is lesbian now. Let's move on."

Piper couldn't help, but frown slightly at this comment. She didn't know whether to thank Polly or to feel insulted in away by this comment. She took another sip of her wine as she debated this. God, she couldn't wait to get home. The wine was really starting to get to her as Pete and Polly's voices drowned out.

The night had been a success so far. She had networked herself around the room and talked to a few art dealers and gallery owners. She hadn't gotten an offer on her piece yet though but the show was running for a couple of weeks, so there was still hope that she would be able to make some cash off of it.

"So," began Polly as she gained Piper's attention. "Do you have to stay the whole night? Because me and Pete I think are going to head out soon and get a late dinner. Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, you guys go ahead," spoke Piper, declining the offer. "I think I'm going to stay here a little while longer."

"Ok."

"I'll text you maybe later and we can get a drink or somethin'," offered Piper draining her glass of wine.

"Do you have plans with Alex later?"

"No, she's working late tonight. She won't get off until like 3," explained Piper looking into the empty glass. She suddenly felt sad that she wouldn't get to see Alex until tomorrow or so.

"Well, if you do decide to meet up later, she is more than welcome to join us," offered Polly.

"Really?" asked Piper in surprise.

"Yeah," smiled Polly. "Our last dinner together wasn't that bad."

"I thought you hated Alex, though?"

"I never said I hated her," stated Polly with a slight eye-roll.

Piper just smiled at this. She knew that this was the best answer she was going to get from her best friend at the moment on her relationship with Alex.

"Thanks for coming," she whispered as she embraced her best friend.

"Anytime," whispered back Polly. "Congrats, on tonight, Pipes. I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks." Piper pulled away from the brunette and smiled. She was really happy that Polly had come, even after she had told her not too. It was nice to have a few familiar faces here to night with her. Not only had Cal showed up like promised, he had brought their grandmother with him. That had been a nice surprise for her. The blonde had a close relationship with her grandmother and she had always been supportive of Piper's choice of becoming an artist.

It had been nice to see her.

* * *

"God, I remember how much I hated this," complained Alex towards Nicky as she passed her with a tray full of drinks.

The shorter woman just chuckled in amusement at Alex's statement. "It's your own damn fault, Vause."

There was a reason why Alex had gotten her bartending license and begged Red to make her a server at the bar. She couldn't stand waiting on people. Sure, making drinks wasn't really any different, but it was at least a lot more enjoyable to her than waitressing had ever been.

"Oh shut up!" cried Alex at her friend. She knew it was her own fault that she was in her current state. She had been the one to open her big mouth and offer to take Piper's shift. But, she knew if given the chance to do it all over again, she would. She didn't mind suffering for a few hours while Piper got her five minutes of fame.

"Here are your drinks," she stated cheerfully as she arrived at one of her tables and began to pass out the drinks on her tray. At least, she got to make a few extra bucks that night, she thought, thinking about the tips she would get.

Her suffering wasn't all that bad. She not only got to leave the bar with a few extra bills in her wallet, but she got to make someone she cared about really happy. She had already received a few texts from Piper telling her how the night was going so far. It was nice to know that Piper was enjoying herself that night.

Alex wanted her to do well and succeed.

She was proud of her.

* * *

The blonde giggled drunkenly as she stumbled down the sidewalk in her heels.

She should've taken a cab, she thought. However, it was too late now as she was almost at her destination.

Piper giggled again in anticipation as she looked up at the buildings as she passed them, seeking out the right one. She had made this trip many times before hand, but never on her own. She was pretty sure she was heading in the right direction but again she had never paid that close attention to her surroundings when she had last been here.

Everything had the tendency to look the same at night to her.

A few moments passed before Piper came to a stop and looked up at the building, which she thought was Alex's. Her eyes squinted slightly in the dark as she read the number on the side of the building. It looked familiar, she thought. This had to be it. But just to make sure she had the right place, Piper reached for her cell phone in her purse. It was the early hours of the morning now and Alex was most likely home from work. The blonde then immediatly called Alex's number.

The phone rang four times before someone on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" answered a groggy sounding Alex.

"Alex," murmured Piper. A giddy excitement erupting in her centre suddenly at hearing her girlfriend's voice. She didn't seem to care that she had just woken her up.

"Pipes?"

"The one and only!" cried Piper loudly into the phone.

"Are you _drunk_?"

"Nnoooo," slurred Piper into the phone. She then erupted into a giggle fit as if the thought of her being drunk was the funniest thing on earth. "Well... _maybejustalitte_...but justalittle..."

Alex laughed into the phone in response to hearing Piper's drunken confession. "I think it's more than just a little," she remarked.

"COME ON DOWN!" cried the blonde excitably as she noticed a light appear suddenly up on the second floor. "I'M OUTSIDE!"

"You're outside?!" Alex was once again surprised by this statement. "What the fuck are you doing outside? It's fucking late Pipes. You should be sleeping."

" _You_ should be sleeping!" fired back the blonde.

"Well I was but then you phoned me..."remarked back Alex.

"Come down!" whined Piper again like a four year. "I wanna see youuu..."

"Ok. Ok. Little Miss Bossy Drunk. I'm coming down." Alex then hung up the phone.

Piper couldn't help but grin with satisfaction that she was getting her way. She giggled with glee to herself as she dropped her phone back into her purse. A few moments passed before the door to the building opened and a tired looking Alex appeared.

"ALEX!" cried out Piper with joy at seeing the brunette.

Alex grinned slightly at seeing Piper. Not only was she drunk but she was wearing that red dress she liked so much. She just stood there for a moment in the threshold of the building, drinking in her girlfriend.

"ALEX!" cried out Piper again as she enclosed the space between them. She stumbled slightly on her heels as she came towards her.

"Hi," she whispered drunkenly as she wrapped her arms around Alex's neck.

"Hi," murmured Alex, clearly amused at the moment by her girlfriend's drunkeness. Her hands immediatly went to go rest on the blonde's lower back, pulling her slightly against her body.

The couple just stared at each other before Piper's mouth crashed hungrily against Alex's. Her lips were moist and soft feeling against the brunette's as she roughly kissed her before the tip of her tongue was forcing it's way into the depth of her mouth.

Alex just stood there frozen for a second, taken back by her girlfriend urgent, exploring tongue. Usually, it only took a good flick of that slippery fierce tongue to get her going, however she was just way too tired at the moment. As sad as that sounded, even to her. She could taste the red wine strongly on Piper's lips.

"How much did you drink tonight?" asked Alex as she managed to pull away from the kiss and eyed her girlfriend, who was once again grinning.

"I dunno," shrugged the blonde in response. "A glass or two of wine...that's it.

"Just a glass or two?" inquired Alex, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Maybe some champagne too," whispered Piper. Her eyes widened slightly in the glow of the street lamp. "Polly wanted to celebrate," she confessed with a smile.

She tried to kiss Alex again, but was unsuccessful as the brunette turned her head suddenly.

"Why don't we get upstairs, first?" suggested Alex. "Huh? before we start anything?"

"That's a good idea," stuttered Piper, nodding her head rapidly in agreement.

Alex just chuckled at this before she began to help Piper into the building and up to her apartment.

"You're going to have to be quiet," explained the brunette slowly as she placed her key into the lock of the door. Her green eyes shifted towards Piper, who was leaning against the wall, giggling. "Leanne is here."

"Okay," whispered back Piper before she brought a finger up to her lips and made a loud _SSSHHHHing_ noise.

"Yeah that's really quiet," remarked Alex turning her attention back onto the lock door. This wasn't going to go well, she thought as she slowly pushed opened the door, making sure to be quiet. She then turned her attention back onto Piper, who still had her finger pressed to her mouth.

"I'm being quiet," whispered the blonde proudly. "Sssshhhh."

"Sshhh," whispered back Alex as she reached out for Piper's free hand. She pressed her own finger to her mouth, copying the blonde. She only needed Piper to be quiet for a short amount of time as she lead her to her bedroom. She just prayed that everything went well. She didn't want to have to deal with the raft of her roommate at the moment. Piper and Leanne had only met two other times before hand and both had been awkward and very brief. Even all her encounters with her small blonde roommate were awkward and brief.

Piper only stumbled once on her way to the bedroom, but luckily Alex had been able to catch her before she knocked over a lamp in the process. They were now safely in Alex's bedroom.

"Take that off," stated the brunette as she gestured to the dress that Piper was wearing. She didn't mean it in a sexual way, but more of like how a parent tells a child to get undressed and into their pyjamas for bed.

"Yes ma'am," whispered Piper in a sultry voice, giving Alex a little assault.

The brunette just glared at her girlfriend, before turning her back and immediatly searching around her room for an extra shirt that she could sleep in. If this was any other time, Alex would had found Piper's little remark sexy as hell. However, to be honest, she was dead tired, and just really wanted to curl up in bed. Wow, she was getting old, she thought.

"Here," she stated as she handed Piper a faded Guns and Roses t-shirt. She tried her best to avert her eyes from the blonde's now nakedness, except for a very small piece of fabric covering her sex.

"You don't want a touch," asked Piper softly as she placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her small chest towards Alex, who still held out the t-shirt in her hand for her to take.

"It's bed time, kid," replied Alex with a slight smirk. She was trying to be the bigger person here and resist her drunken girlfriend, but Piper wasn't making it easy for her.

"Ok," whispered Piper. She then moved towards the double bed and lay down in a seductive manner. "There. I'm. In. Bed. Now." A grin played across her features as she looked up at Alex through heavy lidded eyes.

Alex felt like an idiot as she stood at the edge of her bed, holding the shirt in her hand while a beautiful naked woman lay before her. She was once again feeling torn to going to her and mustering up the energy or just telling her no. Which she thought she had ever done before, say no to sex.

However, before she needed to make this hard decision it was made for her. The soft sounds of Piper's heavy breathing greeted her ears as she looked down at a now sleeping Piper.

The brunette couldn't help, but laugh at this sudden turn in events. Dropping the shirt onto the floor, she climbed into the bed. Piper stirred in her sleep at the sudden dip of the mattress underneath Alex's weight. The blonde turned onto her side, smuggling up to Alex.

"Ahh, my little drunken buffoon," murmured Alex as she pressed a kiss to the top of the blonde's hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo as she did so. She then removed her glasses and put them on the nightstand before pulling the covers of the bed around them.

A moment later, Alex was asleep too.


	22. Chapter 22

It was Monday night and Piper found herself in the exact same spot she always was on Mondays, in her drawing class at the Y.

The blonde always looked forward to the weekly drawing class, especially since it allowed her to stare at her naked girlfriend of two months for two hours. The sex following these classes was always mind-blowing. If anyone wanted to spice up their sex lives, Piper would recommend spending two hours intently studying and drawing their partner naked. Being able to look, but not touch, just turned her on even more, and the blonde knew that it also had the same effect on Alex.

The brunette always kept her eyes solely focused on Piper when she stood in the centre of the room. Watching her watch her. It made the sexual tension between them even more unbearable.

Piper was surprised that no one had picked up on their little game yet. They weren't exactly being secretive about their relationship while in class. The looks that they exchanged during classes wouldn't be that hard to miss if one looked closely.

The blonde bit hard on her bottom lip, trying to concentrate at the task at hand. She was struggling though. Her heart was racing as her eyes continued to drink in the vision that was Alex, who was seated on a stool with her legs spread wide open, giving her a an almost too perfect view of her sex. She was doing this on purpose, thought Piper to herself. She wanted to drive her wild with desire. Alex had even made a point of wearing her hair up in that hairdo that Piper loved so much. Normally, Alex didn't wear her glasses when she modeled, but tonight she was. Making her look even sexier to the blonde. With her hair up like that and those black framed glasses sitting on the end of her nose, she looked like some sort of librarian. A sexy ass librarian.

She roughly traced the outline of her girlfriend's figure on the pad of paper. She wasn't sure how much time was left in the class, but she was hoping it wasn't much. She was getting antsy. She desperately wanted to take Alex home to her apartment and do things to her or have things done to her. She wasn't picky. She could feel Alex's eyes on her, but she tried not to give the brunette any satisfaction of knowing that she was getting to her. So, instead of meeting her eye, Piper pretended to be fixated on Alex's right calf muscle.

The blonde didn't have to look up at Alex to know that she was probably holding back a smirk in response to this.

Alex continued to watch Piper like a hawk from her perch on the stool.

From day one, when she'd first seen her during the drawing class, the brunette had felt some sort of attraction and fascination with her. Yes, it had been a physical attraction, but there was just something else about the blonde independent of her physical appeal that had pulled her into the blonde's orbit. Piper had this way about her whenever she drew. Alex didn't really know how to describe it. It was just this intense look that Piper got in her eyes when she was in the middle of a task, whether it be drawing and painting or just clearing tables at the bar. She seemed to put passion into anything she did. It made Alex admire and be even a little jealous of her girlfriend. The brunette, herself wasn't passionate about many things in her life. She liked to read and learn about history and such, but she wouldn't really consider it a passion or anything. Not in the way that art was a passion for Piper. She didn't get the same fire in her eyes or little crease on her forehead like Piper did every time she had a piece of charcoal or a paintbrush in her hands.

Just like she was currently sporting.

Intent on avoiding the brunette's penetrating gaze, her girlfriend become absorbed in rendering the muscle of Alex's calf perfectly thereby making that adorable crease form on her forehead. Piper didn't even realize it, thought Alex, which made it even more endearing.

* * *

The blonde took her time cleaning up her work space and putting away her drawing supplies.

The class had just ended, and she was waiting for Alex to come out of the dressing room.

"Your work is really amazing, like really amazing."

Piper lifted her head and looked into a set of big, slightly bulging brown eyes. She hesitated at first as she tried to recall the person's name who stood in front of her. She had talked to the woman a couple times before, but she was now drawing a blank on her name. "Thanks..." her voice trailed off slightly as she wracked her brain for a name.

"Sue," replied the woman while gesticulating wildly with her hands. "Which is short for Suzy. Which is short for Suzanne." She laughed nervously at the end of her rambling, smiling at Piper.

"Suzanne, right!" Piper smiled back at the shorter woman. She knew that. "I'm Pi..."

"Piper!" interrupted Suzanne. "I remember." Her whole body seemed to soften after this moment. There was a gentleness in her eyes as she continued to look at Piper.

A brief moment fell between them before Suzanne began to speak again. "You are one of the best in the class. Not like these other amateurs in the class. You, Piper, are a real artist."

Piper was slightly taken aback by all this and didn't really know how she should respond. She knew she was one of the better artists in the class, but she wasn't here to brag about it. She was just here to have fun and to keep up her drawing skills. This wasn't like her classes that she had attended back in Smith. She didn't see anyone here as her competition, biding for the instructor's attention and approval. The blonde felt her cheeks flush as she looked briefly away from the woman.

"Thanks...I guess."

"You really are a true artist," continued on Suzanne in a low voice. "I've watched the others in class, and they don't have half the talent that you possess. Or beauty." She let out another nervous giggle as her eyes looked deeply into Piper.

Piper's eyes widened at that last remark. If she didn't know how to respond earlier, she was really at a lost for words now as she stood there a little dumbfounded.

"You are truly a beautiful woman. Not like all the other girls I have dated in the past. You are truly somethin' else, Piper. Like a beautiful yellow dandelion."

"Um," murmured the blonde in response. Was it a good thing she had just been compared to a weed? She wasn't sure. Piper was no stranger to getting hit on or picked up. But this, she had to admit was a first for her. She wasn't used to someone coming on so strongly to her as Suzanne was at the moment. But as much as she was creeped out at the moment, the blonde didn't want to hurt this woman's feelings. From the other times that she had talked with Suzanne, she seemed like a rather nice person even if a little bit unconventional. She tore her eyes briefly away from Suzanne's grinning face and consciously looked over to the dressing room door. She prayed that it would open and Alex would come to her rescue. However, no matter how hard she stared at it, willing it to open with her mind, it did not budge.

"That's what I am going to call you from now on, Dandelion." remarked Suzanne cheerfully to Piper, who just continued to stand there frozen.

"Oh, god," she murmured as she looked up to the ceiling, hoping by some miracle the gods would take pity on her and make the floor open up suddenly and swallow her whole. She just wanted to avoid the awkwardness that was about to come. The floor did not swallow her whole, but something else did happen.

All the sudden her phone began to blare loudly from her bag. The familiar ringtone of the blonde's phone filling the silence in the room.

"Oh, thank god!" whispered Piper to herself as she immediately turned away from Suzanne and began to rummage through her messenger bag for her phone. "Sorry about this," she spoke, smiling weakly at Suzanne as she looked over her shoulder at her. "It's probably my partner calling...we keep on missing each other."

Suzanne just touched her hair, which was done up in tight bantu knots all around her head and nodded her head slightly at the blonde.

"Hey, Babe," Piper spoke into the phone.

"Piper? Is that you?" asked a very confused Polly on the other end.

"I miss you too," murmured Piper loudly as she began to walk a few feet away from Suzanne.

"Miss me?" echoed back Polly. "Pipes, what the fuck is going on? You're acting really weird at the moment...should I call back?"

"Pol...just play along," hissed Piper in a low whisper, hoping that Suzanne didn't overhear. She just needed Suzanne to think that it was her partner calling her so that she would get the hint that she was taken.

"Ok?" replied Polly, still a little unsure what was going on.

"Where am I you ask?" Her voice raised slightly. "I'm just finishing up my drawing class. Where are you?"

"I'm at home," answered Polly dryly, not sure if Piper was being serious yet or not.

"OH! That's so close by to where I am!" cried out Piper in fake excitement. "We should meet up! I miss you so much! You're always working now. It sucks!"

"You know what sucks...is not being able to have a normal conversation with my BEST friend..."

"Ok. Ok. Cool," Piper didn't bother to look over her shoulder as she heard the classroom close in the background. "I can be down in five..."

"You can be down in five for what?" asked Alex as she overheard the tail end of Piper's sentence.

"ALEX! Shit!" swore Piper as she suddenly turned around to face the tall brunette, who was smirking.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Alex is there? Piper what the fuck is going on?" muttered Polly on the phone.

"Pol, I'm going to have to call you back." Piper didn't bother on say goodbye as she lowered the phone from her ear and ended the call.

"What's going on?" asked Alex with a mixture of amusement and suspicion. Her eyes pierced into the blonde's face, which had gone three shades of red in the matter of moments.

"Nothing is going on," spoke Piper in a rush. "I...I...there was...Suzanne. She was hitting on me, and I just wanted her to go away...but didn't no how to tell her I was taken. Then, Polly phoned, and I pretended it was you..." She jabbed a finger at Alex's chest, trying to make her point clear.

"Who the hell is Suzanne?"

"She's this woman," stated Piper stupidly, throwing up her hands. She hated how flustered she felt at the moment as she tried to explain her story to Alex.

"No duh!"

"She has dark skin and tight knots on her head. These big crazy eyes..." Piper grasped the ends of her hair and bunched them up to the side of her head.

"Ah. Crazy Eyes," spoke Alex in realization of who Piper was talking about.

"Crazy Eyes? You know her?" The blonde lowered her hands and narrowed her eyes slightly at her girlfriend.

"I don't know her. I know of her," explained Alex as she adjusted the strap of her ruff sack on her shoulder. "She's been coming to the class for a little over a year now."

"Oh," muttered Piper.

"I didn't know her name was Suzanne though. I just called her Crazy Eyes," continued to explain Alex honestly. She never bother to find out any other of the students' name besides Piper's.

"Why?" asked Piper, as if it wasn't oblivious to why Alex would give her that nickname.

"Seriously?" asked back Alex bemused by this question. "Did you not see her eyes? All kinds of crazy there!"

"That's not nice to say," huffed Piper as she glared at Alex for a second. "Just because her eyes might be a little on the...big side. Doesn't mean she is crazy or anything!"

"You're being serious," stated the brunette in shock. She couldn't believe that Piper was upset about this.

The blonde didn't respond right away as she went back to the drawing bench where her stuff was and resumed packing up. She wasn't sure exactly why she was so rattled up at the moment over Alex calling someone crazy. She guessed she was just feeling guilty herself for being creeped out by Suzanne earlier. She was probably a really sweet person, thought the blonde.

"Look...I'm not sure what I did here," began to explain Alex, slowly as she watched Piper pack up her things. "But...I'm sorry?" She didn't know why she was exactly apologizing, but it felt like the right thing to do. A fight was the last thing she wanted to start with Piper.

"You don't have to apologize," whispered Piper as she lifted her head and looked over at Alex. "You didn't do anything. It's just me. I just feel bad about..."

"What? Rejecting her?" asked Alex in a joking manner as she enclosed the space between them.

"I dunno," shrugged Piper, trying to figure out her own feelings on the matter. "I guess so."

"Well, next time she tries to hit on you," spoke Alex with a curl of a smile on her lips. "No, wait. There's not going to be a next time."

"There isn't?"

"No," whispered back Alex, pushing her glasses onto the top of her head. "Not if I have a say about it." Her backpack immediately falling to the floor as her hands reached out and pulled the blonde against her. The brunette wouldn't usually call herself a jealous person, really. However, the idea of having someone hit on her girlfriend didn't sit well with her.

"What are you going to do?" asked Piper. Her eyes looked up and trailed the outline of Alex's lips that hovered just an inch hers. Her stomach twisted with anticipation as each second passed. The heat of Alex's breath against her skin was making her skin tingle. She was beginning to get aroused and quickly.

"Oh," whispered Alex slowly. "I'll show you what I'm going to do." She kissed her roughly on the mouth as her hands tightened their grip on the edge of shirt Piper's shirt. She was in the mood for a little nasty.

"Alex," whispered Piper in between kisses. "We can't do this here."

Alex didn't say anything to this. She just continued to kiss the blonde, slipping her hands underneath her shirt and softly caressing the skin underneath. She had been harboring a fantasy of having her way with Piper in the classroom for a while now and even more so now with finding out that Piper had been hit on.

The blonde didn't argue further with Alex as the feeling on her tongue rubbing against hers quickly filled her mind. She ran her hands immediately through Alex's hair, which was down again, giving herself fully to the kiss and Alex's caresses and touches on her body.

She was a goner.

As things between the couple continued to accelerate, they moved towards the platform in the room.

* * *

The bar was quiet that morning as the staff slowly wandered in.

It was a rare event to say the least, especially having everyone under the same roof at the same time. Red had called an urgent staff meeting. The last time that had occurred had been when the no-dating rule had been instituted. Everyone was curious to see what new rule the tough Russian boss would introduce now. Nothing dramatic had happened that they could recall to make her want to shake things up at the bar yet again.

"What do ya think all this means?" asked Mercy, her hazel eyes looking around at everyone else.

"Maybe she's getting rid of that stupid dating rule," replied Tricia, hopefully.

"Like you guys even fucking follow it in the first place," remarked Nicky from her usual stool at the bar. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're screwing one another. Just like it doesn't take on to figure out Vause and Chapman are together."

"No! Really!" remarked Big Boo sarcastically as she caught the tail end of the conversation. "I could have sworn they were just friends." The butch woman's voice raised slightly in a mocking tone before a chuckle descended from her lips.

Mercy and Tricia both wore sour expressions on their faces at the newest arrival. Nicky, however, was thrilled to see her old roommate and good friend, Boo. The small, frizzy-haired woman joined in on her laughter.

"What's up, man?" asked Nicky as she shifted her weight in the stool to look over at Big Boo, who had just taken the empty seat on her righthand side.

"Nothin' much. Nothin' much," replied Boo with a grin. "Just living the life, you know!" She raised her arms over her head, stretching her back muscles before cracking her knuckles loudly. She winked her eyes at Mercy, who was glaring at her with a disgusted look. "Whatcha you lookin' at, princess? You want a piece of this?" She wagged her eyebrows at her ex-girlfriend before making a fart like sound. "Well, you can't fucking have it!"

Mercy bit her tongue as she held Boo's gaze for a second before giving her the finger and turning her back.

Big Boo just smirked as she looked at the back of the brunette's head before turning her attention onto Nicky, who was looking very amused at the moment.

"Nichols, I got to tell you about this nice piece of ass I got with last night," began to explain Big Boo as she leaned slightly into her friend. She didn't really care if Mercy overheard her. That was the whole point; she liked to make her ex-girlfriend jealous. "Real fine." She kissed the tips of her fingers.

"What happened to that Soso chick?" asked Nicky in confusion.

"Oh, I sent Brookie sailing long ago," remarked Big Boo with a wave of her hand. Brook was old news. "She was cute, but shit. All she wanted to do was talk, talk, talk, talk, talk."

Nicky chuckled in response to this. "So, who's the new Mrs. Boo?"

"Back the fuck up there, Nichols! It's a little early for that," stated Boo in all seriousness. "Sure she might have some Mrs. Boo potential, but we only did meet last night."

"Oh sorry," spoke Nicky with a eye roll.

"Anyways...she's this little twerpy thing: and I wouldn't usually give her the time of day," continued on Boo with her story. "And I think a part of it's due to the number of Jacks I'd consumed...because as the night went on...let me tell ya, Nicky, she went from looking like some awkward teenage boy to fucking Jennifer Lawrence."

"You met Jennifer Lawrence?" asked Piper stupidly as she suddenly arrived at the bar. "I love her. I wasn't really a big fan of her in The Hunger Games, but her performance in Silver Linings Playbook really blew me away!" Her eyes shifted between the four sets of faces that were staring back at her in confusion. "You didn't meet her, did you?" She looked hopefully at Big Boo.

"Sadly no, I didn't." smirked Big Boo.

Piper's voice trailed off as she looked briefly down at her feet. "Fuck. I'm always doing that."

The blonde seemed to have a habit, or at least at the bar she did, of catching the tail end of conversations and making a fool of herself.

Nicky just grinned at the blonde's embarrassment for a second. "Sadly, it seems like it, Chapman."

A brief silence fell over the group of women as Mercy and Tricia went back to their own conversation, ignoring the rest of them. Piper smiled weakly at Nicky and Big Boo as she dumped her bag onto the bar and sighed.

"Boo was just telling me about the girl she met last night, who looked like Jennifer Lawrence," explained Nicky, filling Piper in on the conversation

"She didn't look exactly like fucking Jennifer Lawrence," interrupted Boo. "She was a lot shorter and skinnier than JLaw is."

"Was her name Jennifer at least?" asked Nicky smartly.

"No," spoke Boo. "It was Tiffany. But, she did have the hair cut though."

Piper slid into the barstool beside Big Boo, half listening to the story about the short Jennifer Lawrence she had hooked up with last night as her eyes drifted over to the entrance of Coyote.

Alex stood there for a moment, taking in the scene of staff members seated around the bar before locking eyes with the blonde. The couple exchanged a look before Alex began to make her way over to her.

Even though Piper had just seen her girlfriend five minutes ago just around the corner at the coffee shop, she couldn't stop from feeling giddy at seeing the brunette. She wondered if this bubble of nervous energy and excitement would ever fizzle away. She hoped not. She loved how happy just one look from her girlfriend could make her feel. Her heart pounded slightly against her chest as Alex's green eyes continued to drink her in.

"Hey," whispered the brunette as she came to take the seat beside her. "Long time, no see, eh?" Alex's eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Yeah, it's been so long," muttered back Piper, playing along. Her eyes darkened as she continued to study Alex's face. She desperately wanted to kiss her but knew that she had to refrain from her urges. Red wasn't here yet, but that didn't mean she wouldn't show up soon. Ever since Red had caught them, they had been playing it very low-key. Neither wanted any more strikes against them.

"Yo, Vause!" greeted Nicky loudly, interrupting the couple's staring contest.

Alex smiled as she shifted her eyes away from Piper and looked over at Nicky and Boo. "Hey, guys."

"You're lookin' a little tired there," commented Big Boo towards her friend. "Did you not get much sleep last night?"

"Or did a certain blonde keep you up with her demands?" added Nicky with a mischief look on her face. "Again?"

Alex's mouth hung open in astonishment at this. She couldn't believe these two, supposing but not so sure of that now, her best friends were throwing her underneath the bus in front of her girlfriend like this.

"Demands?" echoed Piper. "Alex. What the fuck are they talking about?" The blonde turned in her seat and once again locked eyes with her girlfriend.

"These shit-heads aren't talking about fucking anything," replied Alex with a bitterness in her tone. "Ignore them." Her eyes plead with Piper not to get upset about this. There wasn't anything to get upset about, really. So she might have let it slip that Piper had kept her up the other night wanting to do things while Alex had been dead tired.

"Do you think I'm demanding?" She spoke in a low whisper, so that hopefully the others would hear them. Piper knew this wasn't the place or time to be bringing their sex life up, but curiosity was getting the better of her. She just needed to know. Did Alex actually think she was too demanding in the bedroom department?

"God, no," replied Alex quickly. She reached out for Piper's hand underneath the bar and squeezed it. "I love your needs and satisfying them..." The brunette moved so that she was facing Piper face on. Just as she was about to say more, they were interrupted yet again with the arrival of a newcomer.

"Hello, ladies who all love the ladies!"

Everyone looked up briefly and groaned as Pornstache entered the room. The guard was rarely seen in the interior of the building. However, since he was a member of the staff, he was to be present at the meeting too.

"Child, please," sighed Miss Claudette as she entered from the back room. Despite it being the early morning and the bar wasn't to open for another few hours, the woman was dressed already in her kitchen scrubs. "You will not gain a girlfriend like that." The older woman shot a disapproving look in Pornstache's direction. "A woman must be respected. She demands respect."

"I know someone else who demands..." whispered Nicky in a singsong voice as she glanced over the bar at Piper, winking.

"Would you just shut the fuck up?" snapped Alex, suddenly getting irritated with her friend. Nicky wasn't helping the manner at all in the moment.

A sudden silence fell over the room briefly as everyone looked over to where Alex and Nicky were seated. It seemed like the brunette had raised her voice a little higher than she had planned on getting.

"OHHHHH!" cried out Big Boo as she glanced between Alex and Nicky. "Someone's a little snappy."

"Alex," whispered Piper, squeezing Alex's hand. "It's fine." She didn't want Alex to get into any sort of fight with Nicky over her. Whatever Alex had said to them earlier about her, she was over it. She understood that it was natural for friends to talk about each others' sex lives. Sex was one of the top things she and Polly discussed together. Not so much now though since Polly didn't seem too comfortable talking about Piper's sex life with a woman.

Alex's face softened as she shifted her attention back onto the blonde. She smiled at her slightly, squeezing her hand back before beginning to inch her face closer to hers. However, before the couple could share a kiss, they were interrupted by yet another arrival. Three new arrivals to be correct.

Red, Norma, and the other kitchen help, Gina entered the bar.

"Ah, good. You're all here," stated Red matter-of-factly as she removed her glasses and looked around at all her staff, who were all staring back at her. "You're all probably wondering why I called this meeting, especially so early in the morning. And I appreciate you taking time out of your much needed sleep to be here." The Russian paused briefly in her speech before continuing on.

"But there is something that has come to my attention that needs to be address." Red turned her attention towards Norma, who sort of resembled a scared child at the moment. "Norma, the bag please." Red held out her hand, waiting for Norma to pass over the small bag of something she held nervously in her hands.

Norma's doe-like eyes looked up at Red before nodding her head and doing as she was told.

"Thank you," whispered Red, with a kind smile towards the woman as she took the bag.

"This!" The Russian held up the bag for everyone to see. It was a small clear sandwich bag which looked to have a mixture of pills in it. Her face and voice had once again hardened as she addressed her staff. "Was found yesterday in the bathroom."

Everyone was silent as they stared at the baggie of pills. No one knew what to do or say at the moment.

"There are only two things I ask of my girlies, and that is 1," Red lowered her arm which held the bag to her side as she held up one finger with her other. "When you work for me, you are clean and it remains like that." Her eyes shifted over the faces before settling briefly on Nicky. "2, You refrain from romances with each other. And now I know that some of you within this room have broken the last one." Red didn't say any names, but she didn't really have to. They all knew who was with who. "And that one I can overlook as long as you continue to remain professional in the work place. But if there is one thing that I do not tolerate, it's drugs. Especially, in my bar! That is where I draw the fucking line!"

Everyone shifted a little uncomfortably in their seats as the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped a degree or two.


	23. Chapter 23

Piper sat back utterly confused as everyone shifted in their seats uncomfortably in front of a serious and fuming Red. She tried to catch Alex's eye, but the brunette was completely ignoring her. Piper frowned slightly as she continued to study her girlfriend through the corner of her eye before returning her attention back at Red.

She had pieced enough together to know that Red was accusing one of them of bringing drugs under her roof, but it wasn't like they were junkies...were they? She knew that drugs were a part of Nicky's past at some point, but beyond knowing that it _was_ in the past, the blonde didn't really know anything. She chewed on her bottom lip as she considered what all of this meant in the grand scheme of things.

The Russian woman looked fucking pissed off. Well, she always looked kind of pissed off, Piper thought, but the fiery woman definitely looked even more furious than anyone had ever seen her look before. Her blue eyes were dark with ice as she spied the women before her, making sure her damning gaze fell upon each of her employees, waiting for someone to confess. She loved each in her own way, but she knew that most of the girls had pasts involving drug abuse.

Excluding Miss Claudette and Piper, maybe? That girl was way too innocent to have skeletons like that in her WASPy little closet.

With that in mind, Red let her attention focus on the other five girls whom were much more likely to be smuggling drugs into her bar. She didn't want to point fingers or even consider that any of her girls would go behind her back and do shit like this, but she couldn't afford to play favourites here. She was determined to get to the bottom of this issue. And she wasn't ruling out Pornstache either. That guy looked about as trustworthy as a snake in a den of thieves. It didn't take much imagination to fathom him taking advantage of any of these girls' past history of drug abuse. Red wasn't stupid. She still clearly remembered all that sordid business involving that poor Daya girl a few years back.

Even so, there were little things that made her doubt that he was responsible this time.

The bag of pills had been found in the staff bathroom. Since Mendez was the only male on staff, Red made sure that he used the customers' restroom so as to ensure the comfort of her girls. On top of that, he was rarely allowed in the back room nowadays either, mostly due to what had happened with Daya. Pornstache, for the most part, respected these rules and stayed at his post outside the bar, watching the front door like a creepy sentinel. Yes, he could easily have slipped the bag of pills outside to any one of the girls as they arrived on shift, but she found that scenario very unlikely on account of everyone pretty much loathing Pornstache with a passion.

"Well," bit out Red. "Anyone goin' to come forward?"

This was answered with complete silence. No one dared to utter even a syllable as Red's wrath rained down on them.

"If no one is willing to come forward," began Red. "Things are going to be changing around here. I'm goin' to have to start doin' mandatory bag checks and maybe drug tests even..." She cocked an eyebrow, letting a menacing smirk sink into the threat. She didn't think that she would ever really impose drug tests on her girls, but she needed to make sure that they knew she meant business here.

"You can't fucking drug test us!" cried Tricia. "That's, like, goin' against our rights and shit! This isn't fucking Russia! This is America! Where we have freedom and shit!"

"Tricia!" hissed Mercy at her girlfriend's outburst. "Shut up!"

"You think Uncle Sam would like to find drugs under his fucking nose!?" asked Red coldly as she focused her blistering gaze on her youngest employee. "You think that's what freedom is all about? Getting high and crying into toilets?"

Tricia was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "No. I was just sayin' we have rights and shit. And you can't just randomly drug test us. "

Red let out a mean chuckle at this. "I can do whatever the fuck I want. This is my place of business. This is my home! And I don't allow drugs in my home!" Her voice again rose in fierce anger, every word ringing around the bar.

"Now, I'm going to go into my office and hope that one of you will gain some balls and do the right thing," continued Red as she looked at each of them. "If not...things will surely be changing around here."

The Russian then walked past all of them with the baggie still clenched in her hand before she was swallowed up by the shadows of her office.

* * *

The girls from Coyote staggered out of the bar into the harsh rays of sunlight boring down on them from above. It promised to be a beautiful day, but the amazing weather was the very last thing on their minds, each of them too absorbed in this new nasty business of drugs in Red's bar. Just seeing those pills in that plastic sandwich bag dangling from Red's fingers brought back all sorts of old feelings and memories for them, most of which were far from pleasant.

Not a word was spoken as Nicky, Big Boo, Piper and Alex gathered in a small group and steadfastly made their way from the entrance of the bar. Piper snuck curious glances at all of their faces when she got the chance, trying to figure out what the hell was going on, but no one seemed especially forthcoming. She wanted to just come out and ask but seemed to instinctively know that she was probably alone in this need. The blonde nervously tucked her hair behind her ears as Alex pulled out a pack of cigarettes and held out the carton silently for everyone to take from. Piper caught her girlfriend's eye briefly as she was offered a cigarette but shook her head from side to side. Piper didn't feel up to a smoke right now.

Alex just shrugged as she took one out for herself, placing it between her lips before returning the remainder of the pack to the back pocket of her jeans. The click of the lighter seemed to fill the space around them as they lit the ends of their cigarettes one by one.

Piper used to hate the smell of smoke, detested it, but nowadays she found the aroma strangely comforting. She liked the way it hung onto her clothes and how it mixed in with the scents of her perfume. She especially loved the smell of smoke on Alex. She knew it wasn't healthy to be breathing it in, second-hand smoke being just as bad as actually smoking a cigarette, but she just didn't care right now. She watched Alex blow a ring of smoke from her mouth, watching as the puff deteriorated in the air as she laced her fingers through the preoccupied brunette's free hand.

Alex looked briefly over at Piper at this. The two women exchanged a brief, but meaningful look with one another before they were interrupted.

"You lovebirds care to join us for breakfast?" asked Big Boo before taking one last drag from her cigarette and dropping it to the sidewalk. "Me and Nichols were thinkin' about goin' down to the diner on Houston and grabbing some grub. You ladies in?" Her hazel eyes shifted between the couple as she mashed the butt of her cigarette with the toe of her boot.

The couple was quiet as they exchanged another look. They hadn't really planned out what they were going to do for the rest of the day to be honest. Alex had thought about taking Piper out to breakfast at the very diner that Big Boo had just mentioned - the diner where they'd had their first date. But that was before this shit of drugs mysteriously showing up at the bar came out. Alex knew without asking that if she and Piper decided to have breakfast with their friends as Boo had just suggested, the group would just end up discussing that fucking bag of pills and trying to figure out who the hell the shit belonged to. Frankly, this whole thing was something the brunette would much rather forget. Alex was so fucking tired of drugs being the centre of her world. She had been doing a good job of avoiding them in every way for the last two years, but now, seeing those little pills glistening underneath the dingy lighting of the bar, she could feel old needs and urges unfurling inside her. Discussing the matter would only make these urges worse and way harder for her to deal with, and that fucking pissed her off more than anything else.

However, before she could open her mouth and refuse Big Boo's invitation, Piper interrupted her, speaking for the both of them.

"Sure," Piper answered cheerfully before shifting her attention back to Alex, who she finally noticed was frowning slightly. "What?" she asked. "You don't want to go?" The blonde was surprised. She didn't think that Alex would mind going to the diner with her friends.

Alex didn't answer right away as she finished off the last of her cigarette. She wanted to be honest with Piper and answer, no, she didn't want to go. But at the same time, she knew if she put up a fight, she'd have to deal with the verbal barrage that Nicky and Big Boo would inevitably rain on her if she admitted that she didn't want to go. So in the interest of being a good friend and girlfriend, the tall brunette forced a smile onto her face. "No. Of fucking course I want to go."

"Oh. Ok," stuttered Piper in confusion at Alex's sudden change in mood as her girlfriend leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to Piper's, squeezing her hand before pulling away gently.

"Okay. Let's get the fuck out of here already. I'm fucking starving and am in serious need of caffeine too," complained Nicky as she flicked the end of her cigarette to the sidewalk.

* * *

The four women then set off towards the diner, which was only a couple of blocks away. Big Boo and Nicky walked a couple of feet ahead of the couple, who hung back a little while holding hands. "So what's on your mind?" Piper asked Alex softly after walking a couple of feet in uncomfortable silence. She could tell that something was bothering Alex, but she couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what. She had the obvious thought of Alex's sudden negative mood having something to do with Red's threat from earlier but also wondered whether it was an entirely different manner.

"Huh?" Alex had been so completely lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Piper speak. Her green eyes shifted slightly, peering at the blonde through the corner of her eye.

"I asked what's on your mind," repeated Piper slowly. "You seem so far away."

Alex just shrugged and awkwardly adjusted her glasses with her other hand. She wanted to be honest with Piper about what had happened in her life and what was truly bothering her...but she couldn't. Not yet that was. It was too early in their relationship to taint it with the uncomfortable darkness that was her past, she told herself. She knew that Piper was a little naive when it came to things like this, things that could never have touched the life that she'd no doubt lived since growing up. Not that it was her fault by any means. Piper came from a different world than she did, and she didn't begrudge her that. It's just that the blonde, unlike herself, grew up with nice things with the world at her feet. She'd gotten to go to college and make something noble and respectful of herself. Alex wasn't saying that she hadn't had any choice but to follow the path she had. She definitely could have gone to a community college like her mother had wanted her to, eventually transferring to a University and applying for student loans to pay for school. But the reality is that she hadn't. Alex, at eighteen, had only wanted to get the fuck out of the small town she had grown up in to start living her life. And she thought that had meant going to the city and finally meeting her famous drummer dad.

"I'm just thinking..." she murmured.

"Thinking about what?" Piper pushed, clearly interested.

"Just...thinking." Alex smiled weakly at Piper. She knew the blonde wanted more information from her and was probably frustrated that she wasn't giving her much to go on. She promised that one day, soon, she would confide in her girlfriend. But now wasn't the time. She wasn't good at sharing her feelings and personal thoughts, and she'd much rather keep things like this carefully bottled up than having things burst out and then not be ready to clean up the mess afterward, if things could be "cleaned up" at all.

* * *

"Man! Red came down on us like a fucking Russian dictator back there," said Big Boo loudly over the noisy atmosphere of the diner. The grimy diner was quiet on most days, but today it was filled with all sorts of life forms, ranging from young church-going families to excited tourists to the normal locals.

"Can you blame her?" asked Nicky in all seriousness. "Red fucking hates drugs."

"Whose do you think they were?" asked Piper as her eyes looked rapidly back and forth between the two women seated across the table.

"Who fucking knows," muttered Nicky darkly as she leaned back against the vinyl booth and sighed. And truth be told, she didn't want to know. Just seeing the bag of pills brought out something she thought she had long ago buried. Temptation.

"It's not like we're ever goin' to find out anyways," added Big Boo. No way in hell anyone was gonna come forward and fall on their sword just for the sake of everyone else's comfort, friends or not.

"My money is on Pornstache," commented Nicky. "That guy's a fucking creep."

"Well, I think it's Tricia."

"Why?" Piper asked Boo, who was stroking her chin, apparently lost in thought.

"I dunno," shrugged Big Boo. "She just seems like the drug-wheeling type. Ain't no one with a fuckin' ugly ass neck tattoo like that who isn't a narcotic-sniffin' drug fiend."

"Just because she's dating Mercy doesn't mean you can accuse her of being the one with the drugs," Nicky argued, more than a little put off. "Tricia's clean. Like all of us."

"So she says," muttered Boo. She arched an eyebrow and stared at Nicky for a moment. "I don't fucking trust that girl at all."

Nicky frowned deeply at Big Boo before sighing again and slumping even further down into her seat. An awkward silence and tension fell over the table, and it was depressing as hell. All of them were clearly more than a little upset about the recent turn of events at the bar, and now they were almost predictably taking it out on each other. Nicky hated how Boo was making it seem like Tricia was any different from the rest of them. Tricia was just like them. In a lot of ways, Tricia reminded Nicky of herself when she had first gotten clean. Nicky had been reckless at her age. She had changed a lot since she had met Red who'd had a huge hand in getting clean, but deep down, she knew that who she used to be would always be there, just lurking underneath. That lost Upper Westside teenager who didn't give a fuck about anything and didn't have anyone to give a fuck about her either. She had been a lost puppy who had fallen in with the bad crowd and had made some bad choices. Some really fucking bad choices. But she had done what she needed to do to survive, she thought. Just like they all had done.

No one chose to become a drug addict. It just sort of happened. One hit here. Another hit there. And eventually it just all snowballs. And before you know it, you can't seem to function properly without getting high, without seeking out that rush, time and time again.

Piper shifted her weight in her seat as her eyes swept over the group before landing on Alex, who noticeably had yet to say anything on the subject. She was jumping up and down inside to ask Alex her thoughts on who the drugs might have belonged to, but the blonde didn't dare inquire so directly.

"I think whosever drugs those are needs help," Piper spoke slowly. She knew that no one had really asked for her opinion, but she just couldn't take the heavy silence anymore. "A drug addiction is a serious illness. We shouldn't be sitting here, pointing fingers and judging people. WE should be helping them. There are twelve-step programs and rehab centres out there to treat these sorts of addiction."

Three sets of eyes swivelled towards her.

"Oh, listen to Little Miss Girl Scout here," said Big Boo, not too kindly. " _There are twelve-step programs and rehab centres out there..._ " Her naturally low voice took on a high, airy quality as she mimicked Piper's voice. "Like we fucking don't know that! Trust me, Chapman. If anyone knows about all that shit, it's the three of us." Boo's eyes bore into Piper's face as she gestured to Nicky, Alex and herself.

"It's true," added Nicky, grinning slightly at Piper. "We've all done our fair share of time in the joint, if ya get my meaning." She barked out a laugh, trying to lighten up the mood. "Ain't that right, Vause?"

Nicky's brown eyes fell upon Alex, who was glaring lava at her. Nicky hated how doom and gloomy the brunette had gotten since leaving the bar. She knew that Alex had talked about wanting to keep her past under wraps from Piper, but Nicky honestly didn't see the point. It was a part of who she was. You just can't shy away from who you are despite what Alex might think. Nicky had told Lorna about her history with drugs during their first date. Of course it had been in the form of a joke, but still. She had been honest when Lorna had asked about it later in their relationship. It wasn't her favourite thing to discuss, but it wasn't something she could change. So, she dealt with it like she dealt with everything else. She made a joke about it and pretended it was no big deal.

Alex's expression remained stony. "I don't want to fucking talk about this _now_ ," or ever, she thought, sulking like a child. She crossed her arms over her chest and pointedly turned her head over to where an overweight man was attempting to squeeze himself between two people at the counter. She could feel Piper's eyes burning into the back of her neck, but she ignored her. She didn't have the strength or will to look into those big, doe-like eyes and maintain her balance. And she was pissed off. Not at Piper. But at everyone else for bringing up the past. At herself for being so sensitive about it. She should be fucking over this.

"New topic, I guess…" suggested Piper with a nervous chuckle, her eyes shifting uneasily around the table. She wanted to delve deeper into the subject, but she knew better than to force the conversation, especially with the way Alex was reacting. Piper just didn't know much of Alex's past. It was a subject that her girlfriend had always kept under lock and key. But knowing that both Nicky and Big Boo had a bad history with drugs, Piper had figured that Alex had probably dealt with the issue too.

"So, how about those Yankees?" asked Nicky jokingly as she sat up in her seat. She agreed with Piper; they needed a new change in topic. All this talk about drugs had been a drag before, and it was definitely a drag now.

"That's what the fucking bar needs," piped up Big Boo excitedly.

"What?" asked Nicky. "A baseball team?"

"A Softball team," winked Big Boo, smugly.

Nicky laughed loudly at this before shaking her head slightly at Boo's suggestion. "We kinda already have one."

"That's what I mean. We already have three pro-players right here," the bigger woman once again gesturing at herself, Nicky and Alex. "Sorry, Chapman. You're more of a rookie." She glanced over at Piper apologetically.

"No offense taken," laughed Piper. She knew she was the newbie of the group so to speak. No point in making appearances.

"I dunno…" spoke Alex softly. "She seems pretty pro to me." The brunette wagged her eyebrows suggestively at Piper and gave her a small, devious smile. Alex was still in a funk over the morning's events, but she was trying to get past it now. She didn't want to be the Debbie Downer of the group, so she made a point to keep her eyes on Piper's face as she inched her hand across the vinyl seat, gently taking Piper's into her own.

The blonde's eyes dipped underneath the table to where Alex's hand was softly caressing hers. She stared at their hands for a second before shifting her attention back onto Alex's face. The brunette was still smiling at her, but it wasn't the cocky smirk that Piper was used to seeing. It was more of a sad, deflated smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Oh, don't start getting all lovey dovey and kissyface now. This here is a family place," Big Boo noted to the couple.

* * *

It was a little later on in the afternoon as Alex and Piper found themselves on their own once again. Soon after breakfast, the group had gone their separate ways, Nicky going back home to see Lorna and Big Boo leaving for home herself to catch up on some much needed sleep before having to return back to the bar later that night.

Piper and Alex were sitting under a huge tree in an isolated part of Central Park. Alex had said that it was too nice of a summer day to waste inside. The blonde had only been to the famous park one time since moving to the city, so she had been thrilled when Alex had suggested that they take a walk there. The blonde chatted Alex's ear off as the two of them lay on her backs, looking up into the thick branches of the tree they were resting underneath.

Alex tried to pay attention to her girlfriend's commentary, but her thoughts drifted farther and farther away as time passed. She had forced herself through the dark and heavy conversation at the diner, and even though she was now alone with Piper, she hadn't the energy to be more actively engaged. She didn't mean to be like this, but she just couldn't get those damned pills out of her mind. She felt antsy, a feeling very similar to when she attended meetings. They weren't her pills, but just seeing them…she felt her nerves crackling. And as much a she hated to admit it, she couldn't help but feel herself crave for that inimitable high again.

"Are you even listening to me?" asked Piper, slight annoyance coloring her voice as Alex suddenly found Piper's face hovering over hers.

"Huh?" murmured Alex as she quickly brought her attention to Piper.

Piper was quiet for a moment, studying Alex's face before her softening her expression. "What's wrong, Alex?" The aggravated frustration that had spurred her on before quickly dissipated as her curiosity and concern won out.

"Nothing, babe." Alex gave an odd shrug as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. A coy smile spread across her face as she placed a hand on the side of Piper's cheek and caressed it. She didn't deserve her, she thought. The blonde was way too perfect and beautiful to be burdened with a stupid screw-up like her. Alex wasn't usually this self-loathing, but she couldn't help but weigh her past mistakes against Piper's innocence.

"Let's not spoil the day with talk," Alex whispered, moving her hand to the back of Piper's head before pulling her face down towards her own and kissing her purposefully. She knew that Piper loved her kisses, so hopefully they'd make her forget about everything else. She promised herself that she would tell Piper soon about her history with drugs...but just not now.

Piper's eyes closed as the sweet softness of Alex's lips pressed into hers. The tip of Alex's tongue caressed her bottom lip before slipping inside the warm depths of her mouth. This manoeuvre usually did wonders for her, but today she refused to be deterred. She wouldn't allow Alex to sidetrack her like this. But at the same time, what Alex's tongue was doing currently felt so damn good… Maybe they could kiss for a bit longer, and then she would try again to get Alex to open up to her... Yeah, she would do that...

The kiss quickly deepened as Alex pulled Piper down and deftly rolled on top of her in the grass. Neither seemed to care that they were in a very public place. If anything, it just added to the sweet thrill of the moment.

Alex pushed herself into Piper as her mouth broke away from the kiss and began to attack the side of the blonde's neck. She squeezed her eyes shut and inhaled the scent of the blonde's skin.

"Ouch," murmured Piper as a stick dug into the small of her back. Her eyes were wide open now as she wriggled underneath Alex's weight, trying to get comfortable. Alex misread the movement and thrust her hips further into Piper's, causing the stick to dig more deeply into her back. "Ow, ow, ow!" cried Piper, louder this time. However, Alex still didn't hear her, too lost in the scent of Piper and her own need for blessed oblivion.

"Alex. Stop for a minute, _please_."

The brunette burrowed her nose into the nape of Piper's neck before nipping the soft skin there, still deaf to her girlfriend's pleas to stop. Her leg slid in between Piper's, and she adjusted her weight so her hand could freely begin sliding up the blonde's shirt.

"ALEX! I said fucking stop!" Piper placed her hands forcefully on Alex's shoulders, causing the brunette to immediately snap her head up and look into Piper's distressed face.

Piper just glared at Alex for a second before pushing her off, stiffly rising to her feet. "What the hell, Alex!" she huffed and dragged her shirt down at the same time.

Alex blinked and looked up at Piper in obvious confusion.

"Did you not fucking hear me?" The blonde was rattled now. Her blue eyes were with dark with irritation as she stared incredulously down at Alex, waiting for an answer. One that Alex wasn't sure she had one to give. She honestly hadn't heard Piper, but she couldn't possibly admit that. The blonde already suspected that she was holding something important out on her, and now this... She knew she was sucking majorly as a girlfriend today.

"I'm sorry. I didn't," she replied softly, nervously fidgeting with her glasses. A sense of dread filled her stomach as to what was to come next. She didn't like how steadily Piper was looking at her right now.

"You haven't heard me all fucking day," Piper began her hurt and angry rant. "What the fuck is up with you? I'm trying to be supportive, but you're making it really fucking difficult!"

Alex's dread began twisting into bitter anger. She didn't deserve this. Piper was making it seem like she was doing this on purpose. She had every right to keep her past private. It wasn't like Piper had told her everything about her past both had secrets to themselves.

"I'm making it fucking difficult!?" shot back Alex.

"Yeah, you are. I'm trying to be understanding towards what you're feeling, but how can I be if you keep shutting me out!"

"Well, I'm sorry, princess! Not everything is about you!" Alex snapped back as she also rose to her feet.

"You think you're this big mystery to me," huffed Piper. "Well, you're not."

"Oh, really?" Alex cocked an eyebrow at this. "Enlighten me then. What big mystery am I supposedly not hiding that well?"

"I...I..." Piper stumbled over her words briefly. "I know about your past." Her voice came out a little strained. This was not what she had wanted at all. Yes, she wanted Alex to be open with her and for them to trust each other about each other's demons. But she had wanted Alex to tell her. She didn't want to be the one to dictate to Alex what she thought her past was.

"And?"

"And what?"

"Well, you claim to know so much already. So please go on, and tell me about it. Tell me about my fucking mysterious past!"

Piper just stared helplessly at Alex before looking away, a blush suddenly burning her cheeks. "I don't know," she whispered but then forced herself to turn towards her girlfriend again. "I do know. But I don't want to be the one to say it..."

The blonde knew she was making very little sense at the moment, but she was desperate to see this through now. She couldn't take back what she'd said even if she wanted to. "I didn't mean to claim that I knew everything... I don't... I just know of it...considering what Nicky and Big Boo's pasts are. I just assumed it was of a similar nature...I mean yours."

Alex bit her tongue and closed her eyes. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what. All she knew was that she really didn't want to unveil the details of her past right now, especially not here in the middle of the biggest and busiest park in New York City. Alex sighed as she looked away from her girlfriend and pointedly studied a group of kids playing soccer in the distance.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to be a bitch right then." Piper took a small step towards Alex, unshed tears in her eyes. "I just...I want you to be able to talk to me...about anything. Whatever it is. I'm a good listener."

Alex slowly turned her attention back onto Piper at this. Their eyes locked for a moment before she spoke softly. "I was a bitch too." Leaning down, she lightly brushed her lips against Piper's before resting her forehead against hers and looking deeply into her eyes.

Neither spoke a word for a moment as Piper slowly wrapped her arms around Alex's waist.

The couple kissed again, this time more passionately before Alex broke apart.

"I think I'm going to head home," she spoke quietly. She knew that this news would hurt Piper a little, but she really just needed to be alone at the moment.

"Oh?" murmured Piper in confusion. Her eyes searched Alex's face for the unseen reasoning for this.

"Yeah," replied Alex as she took a step away from Piper and adjusted her glasses. She knew that her girlfriend would want to concretely feel the connection between them after their spat, but she just couldn't give that right now. "It's just been a really long fucking day already...But I'll call you later, ok?"

"Ok," whispered back Piper sadly. She didn't want Alex to leave, but she could tell she was upset. She didn't want to force Alex to stay with her and keep her company. She was a big girl.

Alex stayed standing there for a moment, before gaining the strength in her body to physically leave. She just gave the blonde a little wave with her hand before walking away.

* * *

A Doors' song was playing from the open laptop in the middle of the bed. It was evening now as the muggy air from outside drifted in from the open bedroom window.

Since leaving Piper in the park, Alex had been locked up in her bedroom, listening to music like she was sixteen again. Alex blew out a ring of smoke, finishing off her cigarette before stabbing it into the mug she used as an ashtray.

It was late at night now as she stared around the darkened confines of her bedroom. Her eyes fell onto her phone which rested beside the bed on the nightstand charging. She had yet to call Piper like she had promised. The brunette had honestly thought she would only need a few hours to be alone, but that hadn't turned out to be the case. It was eleven at night now, and she wasn't feeling any damn better.

She reached for the phone and swiped at the screen, immediately noting that she didn't have any missed calls or texts. A mixture of sadness and disappointment stirred within her. She'd thought that Piper might have called her when she hadn't. Not that she was sure that she would have answered if Piper had. She tapped the contacts icon on her screen and stared at her two most recent calls. She thought about pressing Piper's entry at the top of the list, but she didn't know exactly what to say to her girlfriend. Instead, she found her finger pressing down on the second one.

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

"What's wrong, kid?" came the raspy New Jersey accent of her mother's voice.

Despite how shitty she was feeling, a smile spread across Alex's features at hearing her mother's voice. "Nothin'," she lied. "I just thought I would call."

"I thought I taught you to lie better than that, kid," commented Suzy Vause with a chuckle.

"What? I can't call my own mother just to say hi?" laughed Alex.

"Sure, you can," replied Suzy dryly. "Just not at fuckin' eleven o'clock at night."

Alex wanted to laugh and reply with a snotty comeback, but she didn't have one. She hated how her mother knew her so damn well. She suppressed a sob in her throat as she thought about what to say.

"Come on, kid. Tell me what's bothering you," urged Suzy softly. "Is this about that girl you been seeing?"

Alex again found a smile spreading across her face as she shook her head slightly, even though she knew no one could see her. She hadn't told her mother she was seeing anyone. She never told her about who she was seeing or dating. Hell, she never brought anyone home for her mother to meet.

"How do you know I'm seeing anyone, ma?"

"Don't give my that bullshit, Allie. I'm your fuckin' mother. I know when you're seeing someone," explained Suzy.

"Her name is Piper," whispered Alex, knowing better than to lie twice in a row.

"That new one at the bar?" asked Suzy in confirmation. Alex had mentioned briefly before of a new girl working at the bar. She hadn't thought she had told her mother her name though.

"Yes, ma." Alex sighed as she rested her hand in her chin. She hated how effortlessly her mother could read her.

"So what's the matter?" asked Suzy.

The brunette was quiet as she focused her attention onto the list of songs displayed on the laptop. She didn't know how to explain what was the matter. She was feeling a mixture of emotions. Vulnerability. Sadness. Shame. Guilt. Anger. She didn't know how to process any of it. One of the reasons she had decided to call her mother was not only to hear her voice, but for her to shed some light onto the situation. Her mother was her rock. She had been her rock throughout her whole life growing up and especially during those first difficult years while she fought to stay clean.

She wanted to tell her mother everything about Piper but couldn't. That would be a whole other discussion that she didn't want to get into right now. She knew the moment she started to talk about her girlfriend, her mother would want her to come up to Jersey and for her to meet the girl she was in love with. And Alex wasn't ready for that.

Not only for Piper to meet her mother, but also to admit she was in love. She knew it already herself but didn't want to hear it from her mother.

Alex was afraid of loving.

The last loving relationship she'd been in was in her addiction with heroin. She knew it was stupid to think that her last serious relationship had been with a drug, but it was the truth. Before Piper, she hadn't ever had a real serious relationship. Sure, there had been a few girls who'd lasted a margin longer than the others. But none of those relationships compared to what she had with Piper now in just the two short months they had known each other. She didn't know how to describe it. It's just how it was, really.

They had some sort of connection, she guessed, and it was this strong connection that scared her.

It had come on so quickly and so out of the blue. And now she felt like she had no control over the situation. She wasn't sure if she was ready for all of this, to give her heart and soul fully to Piper.

She wanted to. One day for sure.

"I don't know," whispered Alex, her voice suddenly filled with emotion. "I thought I did. But now...I'm not so sure." She didn't know if she meant that she didn't know about Piper or about her addiction or both.

Alex had thought she was over her addiction to heroin and all that came with it. She didn't think she'd missed it. But seeing that bag of drugs… brought it all back. The temptation to use again. That sweet rush of adrenaline every time the heroin entered her bloodstream.

That scared her. Badly. And she hated herself for being weaker than she'd initially thought she was. She was stronger than this. It had been four years since she'd hit rock bottom, and she was determined not to go to that place ever again. But it was hard.

Especially, now knowing that the temptation was so close by.


	24. Chapter 24

A frustrated sigh escaped Piper's mouth as she stared down at the blank screen of her phone. She had no miss calls or texts.

Well, she had one text, but it was only from her brother Cal asking about her upcoming art show. Other than that, she'd had no contact from anyone else. She had debated about calling Alex all day, but resisted the urge. She knew that Alex would call her when she was ready to do so.

She just had to be patient that was all.

Piper tried to keep herself busy all day with running errands and such that she usually saved for the middle of the week. However, since her and Alex sudden spat? argument? she wasn't really sure what to call it. It hadn't really been a fight, a proper one at least, she had tried not to worry about it, thinking that Alex would call her eventually. She always did.

However, the wait was killing her.

She knew it was silly for her to worry about the state of her relationship with the brunette over one phone call. But from a early age, the blonde had been somewhat of a worry-wart. And here she was, worrying again about something, she wasn't sure she should be making a big deal about.

Placing the phone down onto the floor, she reached down for the open bottle of white wine beside the tub.

Piper sank herself lower into the soapy water of the bath as brought the bottle up to her lips and drank greedily from it. The wine was lukewarm as it hit the back of her mouth and slid down her throat. She didn't care if it was lukewarm, she just wanted to get drunk and to stop thinking about her girlfriend. She just wanted to numb the pain that was currently filling her heart.

They've had fights before.

The couple was constantly disagreeing on things, but they were stupid little fights that always ended with them laughing and forgiving one another. But this was different and the blonde didn't know how to fix it. She wasn't sure if there was really anything to fix. Alex, just clearly needed space from her. And maybe that was why she was so worried. Not because she feared that Alex was mad at her in anyway, but because, she was worried about her girlfriend. She had only known Alex for a short while, but this was the first time she had seen Alex so, not vulnerable, that wasn't the word. Alex just hadn't been her usual self today, she guessed was the best way to describe it. Piper wanted Alex to be open with her, but she couldn't blame her for not telling her right off the bat.

Placing the bottle back down onto the floor, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and stared intensely at the chipped pink nail polish on the big toe of her right foot. Her pulse picked up slightly as a wave of nerves came over her.

She immediatly brought the bottle of wine back up to her lips and took another swig from it.

Carol Chapman's face suddenly filled her mind as she thought about a random memory of her mother telling her about the proper abdicate of a lady. Her mother, if she were here would probably frown at the sight of her daughter drinking wine straight from the bottle like some alcoholic.

She didn't know why she was thinking about her mother all the sudden, but she was. Despite calling her folks every few days, she hadn't seen them since she had moved to the city. She hadn't been up to the Chapman's summer house to visit like she had promised she would. She dreaded going up to the Cape. She felt, no she knew she had changed since moving to the city and everything. And she didn't want to fall into old habits again like she always seemed to do when around her family. All that being said, she knew she couldn't tell her parents about Alex. No one knew about her, other than Polly who she had sworn to secretive for the moment. Piper knew she would have to come clean eventually with them, but she honestly wasn't ready for that conversation. She didn't want them, especially her mother to come between the good thing she had going with Alex. She knew Carol would just frown and say something judgmental like she always did. Her mother would just say it was some sort of rebellion she was going through like she was some teenager and not a grown woman living on her own, able to make her own life decisions.

* * *

_Her laughter filled her ears._

_A glistening smile hung over her face. White pearl teeth. A half moon smile. The Cheshire cat and she was Alice lost in the wonderful world of Wonderland._

_She stared at those lips hovering over her face. They were fucking perfect, she thought._

_God, she was happy._

_Nothing got better than this. Just her and her girl and heroin._

_She stretched her neck and kissed this beautiful cheshire moon smile hanging over her. A sensation of pureness washed slowly through her bloodstream as the kiss developed and the effects of the drug set in._

_This was happiness, she thought. The heat and softness of her girlfriend's lips against her own. The mellowness that overcame her every time she injected the needle into her arm. The feeling was very similar to that sleepiness right after a powerful climax. That dreamy mellow blissful state after sex. When all you want to do is curl up next to the warm body of your partner and fall into a deep deep sleep._

_That feeling knowing that you are loved._

_That was what she was feeling exactly right now as the sweet slipperiness of her girlfriend's tongue darted into her mouth._

A cold sweat drenched her body as her eyes fluttered open.

It took Alex a moment to figure out where she was as Fleetwood Mac's Dreams played in the background. She was in her bedroom. And she was alone. Her eyes darted around the darkened bedroom as if expecting to see a needle of sorts lying around.

However, there was nothing around her, expected for a pen and a empty pack of cigarettes.

She immediatly buried her face into her hands as a slight relief washed through her. Her dream had been brief, but it had still been very vivid for her. It had been a while since she had dreamed of the past. A lot of her past was a dreamy fog. Half of her memories she couldn't recall had actually happened or had been something she dreamt of happening when she was high.

It had been a while since she had seen Cori's face. Allowed for herself to think about the person who had gotten her into this whole mess in the first place. Her ex had been her first love. Their relationship had been brief, not lasting more than a couple of months or so. But it had been so intense and fast burning in the moment. Alex had and would've done everything for her. She had been young when she had met her. She had been extremely attracted and obsessed with her the moment she introduced herself.

The image of her ex lingered in her mind for a few moments longer before being replaced with the face of her current girlfriend.

Guilt washed through her as she lifted her head and looked immediatly at her phone which was resting beside her. She still hadn't called Piper after promising to do so earlier.

There wasn't a night that hadn't gone by that the two hadn't talked to one another since getting together. If they weren't at least spending the night together, they made the effort to phone one another. Even if it was just for five minutes or so. It had become a habit for them to say goodnight to each other before going to bed.

She glanced down at her phone, staring at the time displayed on it. It was now two in the morning. She couldn't possibly call Piper now, it was too late. However, she desperately was overcome with a sudden need to call her girlfriend and hear her voice. She didn't know if she would be sleeping or not. It was a toss up. Piper was sometimes like a old grandma who fell asleep at 9 in front of the TV with a tea in her hands. Or a complete night owl, wanting to stay up to watch the sunrise over the city.

She sat there, staring at the small digits displayed on the screen before looking down at the screen saver. It was a picture of her and Piper. She knew it was cheesy to have a picture of her and her girlfriend as her phone display, but she liked the photo. Piper had been the one to take it, complaining that they didn't have enough photos together. In the picture Piper's cheek was pressed up against her own. Alex was wearing her usual half smile half smirk on her face. Her eyes weren't looking into the camera but at Piper, who seemed to be about to laugh at something. Her eyes were closed in the picture.

The blonde had detested the photo after it had been taken and demanded a retake where they both were looking at the camera and smiling. However, this had been Alex's personal favourite over the other ones that had been taken on that day. She loved the candidness of the shot.

After talking to her mother, she realized that she shouldn't shut Piper out. Maybe, she didn't have to tell her everything just yet about her past, but she didn't have to push her away either. She hadn't explained all the details to her mother about what was going on with Piper and or especially what had arisen at the bar. She knew her mother would assist that she quite her job at Coyote after hearing about the now issue of drugs being there. She didn't want to quite her job though. She actually liked being a bartender. Customers weren't always her favourite, but she enjoyed the people she worked with.

After swiping her finger across the screen, she immediatly brought Piper's number up in her contacts. She knew there was a good chance that Piper wouldn't even take her call. She had been an ass to her today.

Letting out a deep breath, she pressed the phone to her ear, listening as it began to ring.

* * *

The blue folky tone of Joni Mitchell filled the room as Piper painted away at her easel. She had started a new piece that night. Not that she needed a new one. She really should be finishing up the painting for her upcoming art show. However, since it was a painting of Alex, she wasn't really in the mood to work on it. So after finishing her bottle of wine in the bath, she decided to start a new painting. This one was an abstract piece.

Running her paint brush across the canvas, she heard her phone go off. The blonde immediatly froze as she turned her attention away from the canvas and over to her phone which was resting just a few feet away on her coffee table. She didn't know who was phoning her, but she had a pretty good idea, or so she hoped. There was really only one person who would dare to call her so late into the night.

Her pulse began to race as she continued to sit there listening to her ringtone. She knew she should answer it. She wanted to answer and talk to Alex. She hated how they had left things. She didn't want to go to sleep without hearing Alex's voice, wishing her a good night. She had become so accustomed to their nightly talks over the past months. That was probably why she was still up now, painting a new masterpiece instead of in bed like a normal person would be.

Piper didn't move an inch though as the phone continued to ring. It seemed that as much as her heart wanted to answer the call, or mind and body were thinking something different.

A few moments passed before the phone stopped. Joni Mitchell's voice was once again the only thing filling Piper's ears.

"Fuck," she cursed.

She really should had answered it. Taking a deep breath, Piper threw her paint brush down and stood up. She slowly then made her way over to the coffee table, finally finding the strength to stand it seemed. She reached for the phone, which happily informed her that she had a new voicemail message. She typed in the passcode before bringing the phone to her ear. A moment later, Alex's voice was filling her ear.

"Hey...it's me. Alex...I'm sorry for calling so late...I hope by not picking up that you are just sleeping through this call and not just ignoring me for leaving you earlier...I just...I needed...I...I. Please just call me back, kid."

Piper, found herself once again unsure of what to do as she stood there listening to the message end and the automatic voice telling her opinions. She could easily redial if she pressed 1 or listen to the message again if she pressed 2 or delete the entire thing if she pressed 3. Or to exit and not have to deal with the entire thing, she could just press 4.

The blonde could easily be a bitch about the situation and not call Alex back. Teaching her girlfriend some sort of lesson she wasn't even sure she wanted to be teaching her. In the past, she might had considered this opinion. Giving her partner the silent treatment. However, she was trying to be less selfish these days and more understanding. Plus, Alex seemed to need her space at the moment. Piper knew that Alex was struggling with something and as much as she wanted to know what it was, she didn't feel like it was her place to stick her nose in. She wanted her to come to her when she was ready to.

She decided that it was time for her to stop playing these silly games like she had in high school. If she wanted to call Alex back and talk to her, she should. Collapsing onto the couch, she pressed one.

* * *

Alex awoke groggy the next morning.

She could hear Leanne in the kitchen as she rose slowly from the bed and reached for glasses on the nightstand. The room smelt strongly of smoke and her teeth needed a good brushing. However as much as she should open up a window and go to the bathroom.

She didn't.

Alex stretched liked a cat against the pillows. Her plan to get up had suddenly vanished from her mind. She was now too lazy to get out of bed and start the day. She technically didn't have to be up until a few hours later. It was Monday, so she didn't have anywhere to be for the day besides at Jones' class to model.

Throwing her arm over her face, she let out a sigh.

She hated this.

She felt exhausted and hung over, even though she had only consumed one beer last night. She felt like shit. Her heart felt heavy with sadness and guilt. She hadn't felt this shitty in a while. It just seemed that everything that had been going well in her life had suddenly crumbled into one big fucking mess. First with her job and now with her relationship with Piper. Not to mention her own self of mind. She with this inner struggle with addiction would go away. She hadn't gotten high in four years. That should be good enough. Weren't thing suppose to get easier as time went on? Or was that just for broken hearts and grief and not heroin addictions.

Deep down, Alex knew she was stronger then she thought she was and would never go back to that life style. She liked her life for the most part now and thought she had a good sense of herself not like she had back then. She had been young and stupid when she had first started using. She had thought like every other junkie thought, that they weren't addicted. That the drug didn't have this powerful hold over her like it did over everyone else. But wake up one day and you realize that you can't function normally without it. You demand on it like you do oxygen and food. You need to shoot up in order to survive.

With her face still covered, Alex reached for her phone, which was resting on the nightstand.

She was overcome with the need to talk to her girlfriend, even though they had talked mere hours ago. She had picked up on the first ring after Piper had called her back. She just wanted to hear her voice. It was the same need she had last night to hear her mother's voice. She just wanted to hear the sweet laughter of her girlfriend's voice. To hear her go off talking about some random thing she saw on TV or read about in the newspaper.

The phone rang twice before a sleeping sounding Piper answered.

The blonde had barely looked at the number as she answered it. She had just woken up a few moments earlier. So she was pretty much half a sleep still as she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey," whispered Alex, turning onto her side.

"Hey," spoke Piper.

There was a brief moment of silence between the couple as they both waited for the other to speak first. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of their own breathing and the brief ruffling of sheets.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," murmured Alex, not being able to take the silence.

"You didn't."

"It sounds like I did."

"I was already up," explained Piper. She had made an effort to clear her throat to try to keep the sleep from her voice.

Alex couldn't help but chuckle slightly in response to hearing the blonde's quick reply.

They were both quiet for a while after this, not really sure what to say. They both wanted to talk and see each other, but saying it out loud seemed hard to do at this moment. So they just seemed to lay there in bed, listening to the sound of each others breathing. In some weird way it was like that they were there together, laying side by side instead of in two completely different beds on different sides of the city.

"Can I see you?"

"I would like that," whispered back Piper as she turned onto her side.

* * *

The softness of rain could be heard from the open bedroom window as the couple fell onto the bed. After hanging up on each other, Piper had gotten out of bed and headed over to Alex's apartment. It was usually, Alex heading over to her place. However, this time it was Piper who came to her.

Alex's roommate had long ago left before the blonde had showed up. The couple had greeted each other shyly before Alex was leading the blonde to her bedroom. It wasn't in a sexual, I-need-you-right-now action. It was more in a gentle caress of fingers as they intertwined together like school children playing a game. It was filled with tenderness.

They barely spoke a word to each other as Alex, who was still in her pyjamas curled her body around Piper's. Her hand slid underneath the blonde's loose t-shirt and rested against the flatness of her stomach, just at the edge of her ribcage. She kissed the back of Piper's neck before pressing her face into the soft spot between her shoulder blades. The brunette immediatly closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of her girlfriend. A warmth of calmness flushed through her from head to toe. It was the same feeling she got whenever she got a quick wift of something that reminder of home. It scared her a bit to think that something as simple as the scent of her girlfriend's clothes could immediatly put her at ease like it was now. She wasn't use to this. Sure, certain scents and smells had a effect on her in the past. Perfumes of old flames causing desire within her, but what Piper's scent did to her was much more than a lustful feeling.

Piper didn't say anything as she felt the heat of Alex's body press into her backside. She held her tongue for once as she allowed for Alex to cling to her like a security blanket. This was nice, she thought. With the sound of rain falling from the window and the warmth of Alex's hand against her skin. It was nice.

The peacefulness of the current moment was too nice to ruin. So instead, they continued to cuddle on the bed, listening to the rain and just enjoy the presence of each other's bodies.

Neither of them remember falling asleep, but they must have sometime after Piper had come over. It was late in the afternoon as the couple awoke from their slumber.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The couple looked at each other for a second before sharing a tender kiss. Their lips pressed ever so slightly into one another in the briefest of touches before pulling away.

"Are you hungry?" asked Alex as she moved into a seated position on the bed. Her eyes gazed on at Piper for a second before reaching for her glasses which had fallen off at some point during their nap.

"Sure," replied Piper, sitting up herself on the bed. She tucked her hair which had fallen out of it's ponytail behind her ears. She smiled nervously at Alex, who continued to look at her. She tried to read her girlfriend's mind, but was having difficulty doing so. The brunette's face was blank of emotion it seemed at the moment. Whatever it was that Alex was feeling and thinking about, she was keeping it hidden from her.

Alex adjusted her glasses before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Piper's cheek. "Stay here," she whispered. "I'll be back."

"Kay," whispered the blonde as she watched Alex leave the room.

It had stopped raining and a weak ray of sunlight was trying to pour in through the window.

Piper brought her legs up to her chest and just stared pointlessly at this small weak light cascading into the room. She tried not to allow herself to over think and begin to worry. She admitted, she was a little scared to hear what her girlfriend had to say to her about her past.

The blonde's previous relationships had been pretty safe to say the least when it came to the other person. All her exes came from the same upbringing as she had. First with Larry, who was really nothing special. He was a safe average guy. The perfect first boyfriend. Then there had been Liam, who despite his bad boy movie star good looks, claiming he was misunderstood and loathed any type of authority, a lost soul. He had turned out to be just like any other preppy boy she had gone to school with. He was just rebelling, using up every ounce of his youth before he was forced to join the family business for good. Despite, his bleach blonde long hair and five o'clock shadow, Carol had actually approved of Liam. Of course, it was probably also do to the fact that both their parents knew each other from their own college days. Liam had lasted six months or so before Piper had gotten bored.

There had been a few suitors after him.

Each one, Piper had claimed to be the one. However, how great they had been in the moment, they were all now grey and dull in comparison to Alex.

She cared deeply for her. Cared for her more than she could ever really remember carrying for someone so early on in a relationship before. Their relationship was still very much new. Just like her life in New York was. There were parts of the city she had yet to discover, just like there were parts of Alex she was still learning about, like her past. Piper had her own thoughts and suspicions on what this past consisted of. But she had no real idea. In this way, Alex was still very much a mystery to her. However, she didn't seem like a mystery, despite this big factor of the past.

She felt like she knew Alex pretty well. Maybe not about what she had done two or three years ago. Or what her relationship with her exes had been like. However, she did know other things about her girlfriend. Present things like how she liked her eggs scrambled in the morning and her taste in music and books.

Alex returned a few minutes later with two steamy plates of leftover Indian food from the pervious night.

Piper couldn't help but smile as she breathed in the familiar scent of butter chicken. Just then her stomach grumbled, making her realize how hungry she actually was. She hadn't eaten a single thing that day.

"Thanks," spoke Piper as she took the plate of food from Alex. "I'm surprise you have this left over. You love this stuff."

"I thought about eating it," replied Alex as she got into bed. "But Leanne hates the smell. So I can only eat it when she not here."

Piper nodded her head in understanding of this. She remembered Alex mentioning something about her roommates deep hatred for Indian food and loathed it even more when Alex brought it home. It was things like that, that made Piper happy that she lived on her own and could bring home all the smelly food she wanted without anyone complaining.

"Well, I'm glad. More for me then," chuckled the blonde in attempt to lighten the mood.

The corner of Alex's mouth curled up into a smile at this. She had thought about eating the leftovers last night, despite her roommates hatred of the smell of the stuff, but had changed her mind, knowing she wanted to save it for when she saw Piper again. It had seemed a little pathetic at the time with not knowing when exactly she would see her again. But now, she was happy she had waited to eat the leftovers with Piper.

"You don't have to tell me," began to speak Piper.

Alex looked up from her food at this and cocked an eyebrow.

"Like...I know I already said you didn't have too, but I just want to make it clear," ramble on Piper, who had yet to touch her food. "I don't care."

Alex dropped her fork onto her plate before placing it down beside her. She figured they were going to talk about it now.

"I don't care if you snorted cocaine with Lindsay Lohan or killed a man in Reno. I don't care what you did," continued Piper. She could tell that Alex was hurting and she just wanted to make it right between them. She didn't want to judge Alex for what she had done in the past, way before her. She didn't want to be judgemental like her mother. As much as it was killing her not to find out, she would go there. She would be patient, she told herself. She would wait as long as she had to for Alex to feel comfortable enough to open up about her past.

"Who do you think I am? Johnny Cash?" asked Alex in amusement at hearing song reference.

"You know what I mean," whispered Piper. She hadn't meant to do a Johnny Cash reference, but she was just trying to make a point here and Alex was ruining it.

"I didn't kill a man if that's what you were thinking," spoke Alex in all seriousness. "My past isn't that dark. You should know that I'm much more of a lover not a killer."

Piper just rolled her eyes at Alex's remark. They would never have a proper serious moment with each other, she thought. She shook her head briefly before beginning to eat her chicken.

* * *

Alex's roommate had returned some time ago from work, however that didn't stop the couple from their activities in the bedroom.

Alex kissed the side of Piper's neck, slowly making her way down to her chest. Her movements were slow and tender. She wanted to cover every bare inch of Piper's flesh in kisses. She wanted to savoir her like a fine meal.

Piper seemed to have the same idea as Alex did. Her hands roamed Alex's chest and ribcage. She wanted to touch and feel every part of her body.

They both seemed to be acting out on some sort of deep desire and need. It wasn't sexual release that they wanted, but simple human intimacy.

Their bodies moved together in a slow dance. Pleasure and passion building ever so slightly.

It was hard to describe what was ultimately happening between them. The plates of their relationship were shifting. They were becoming one in not only in a physical being but an emotional way. Sure, they had declared that they were in a relationship and things were moving forward for them. But something more was happening.

It had a name.

However, they didn't dare to voice it.

They knew they could no longer keep on denying what was happening here. They were falling in love. They both needed each other, in different ways but the need was still very much the same. Alex as much as she tried to deny her need for love and just plain acceptance. She knew that deep down she needed Piper for a lot more than just a good time in bed.

Piper had ended up coming suddenly into her life with her slightly ditsy deer in headlights ways. She was not only hot and a talented artist, but she was smart and could be just a big goof ball at times. She was complicated and flawed and she liked her even more for this. Alex had been attractive to her and had first just thought of her as some new challenge, having just ended her relationship with her previous girlfriend, who had turned out to be a bit of a nut case. But since starting their relationship and realizing it was much more than just a fling, Alex was also kinda realizing she hadn't really been happy until now.

The brunette had never really given her issues of not committing to a long term relationship much thought before. She had just always figured she wouldn't be that type of girl to settle down really. She wasn't one who looked for love and romance. She had always been that girl who just want to have fun. Life, she always thought was way to short to commit to one person. And now, she was maybe thinking that she had just used that as an excuse to what she actually really truly craved in life. Love.

Sure, flings were fun and had their moments.

But her mind set had seemed to shifted without her really taking notice of it.

Like Alex, love was the last thing that Piper had been looking for when she first took notice of Alex across the street at Starbucks. At that point, she had just been looking for a job. Some sort of way to making a living. To support herself in this strange new city. However, love is what she found, along with a job. Her feelings for the brunette had cause her much confusion at first. This being her first ever real, girl crush if you would. But it was much more than a crush as things soon developed further from innocent flirting, and now she deeply cared for this woman stretched out on top of her.

Opening her eyes, she looked up at Alex, who's face hovered inches above hers. Titling her neck up, Piper pressed her lips hard against Alex's, drawing her into a long kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

The sound of charcoal scratching against paper was all that Alex could hear as she stood on the platform. Her eyes shifted briefly around the room taking in the unfamiliar faces of the class.

She'd been doing this art modeling gig for over a year now, but for some reason, it felt weird to be standing there on the elevated platform tonight, naked in front of an unknown class. The modeling had never really been strange to her before, Alex mused to herself, nonplussed. Sure, at the beginning, it had been a little scary, appearing before perfect strangers wearing nothing but her birthday suit. But she quickly got over the nervous feeling once she realized that people seemed even more in awe of her when she was on the stage than they were when just encountering an almost six-foot-tall woman with tumbling dark hair and librarian glasses. In a strange way, modeling made her feel powerful, knowing that she commanded awed silence before her simply by standing artfully, clothes or no clothes.

But standing there, right this second in front of these unknown eyes, Alex couldn't help but feel that niggling shyness she had felt on that first day. She wasn't sure if it was because it wasn't her usual Monday night class where she had gotten used to seeing Piper in her usual seat staring straight back at her. It was Tuesday tonight. The regular model for that evening class had called in sick and Jones had called her in as a last-minute replacement.

She knew that part of the reason she was feeling this way was because her girlfriend wasn't there in the room with her tonight. Let's face it, nude modeling wasn't the most stimulating job in the world. The pay wasn't bad, and it allowed her to catch up on sleep sometimes when they did long poses and she got to lie down, but standing in the same pose for more than five minutes got tiring after a while, especially when there was just dead silence in the room except for the odd cough and shuffling of paper.

And it wasn't only that she got bored. Modeling for drawing classes also gave her a lot of time to think. Normally that wasn't a bad thing. It was part of Alex's routine to try and think of things she had to do the next day, like errands or figuring out what groceries she needed to pick up for the week. But Alex didn't always like to be stuck with her thoughts. Though she hated to admit it, she had definitely been feeling more vulnerable lately with the pall of drugs at the bar and not knowing how her past would affect her relationship with Piper... Standing naked in a room full of people probably wasn't helping matters.

She knew that most of them were studying the curves and outlines of her body. However, a part of creating art and studying the figure involved reading deeper into a person and bringing that forward in a piece of work. She had seen Piper do it over and over again in her work, capturing that emotion that you didn't really think was visible. Alex was sure that some were picking up on her vulnerability at the moment.

Sure, they had smoothed things over a bit since Sunday night, but there definitely were still some significant bumps that needed straightening out. Alex just didn't know how to do that. The brunette knew that Piper had said she was okay with knowing about her past, but studying the nuances of Piper's expressions and behavior for the past week had Alex doubting. Either way, both of them seemed to understand that things were best left alone, at least for the immediate moment.

Last night's class hadn't been bad exactly. Alex just hadn't been able to shake the feeling that Piper was judging her... Alex knew that Piper was probably irked by the irony of her girlfriend being able to stand stark naked in a quiet room where all the attention was on her body, but not be able to share one bit of information about her past with her. Alex couldn't really explain it herself. But her body was like her shield. She used it to protect what was inside of her. She'd rather walk down the street completely naked than have to sit in a room, talking about herself.

She had no real idea of what Piper thought about her modeling. It wasn't something they had ever discussed, before or after the class. In session, Piper always did her thing and drew Alex. But last night, they had barely looked at each other during the class, which was unusual. Monday nights at the Y were always filled with secret looks and sly affectionate exchanges.

Standing there now on the same platform she had been last night, Alex found that she was missing seeing Piper leaning over her paper, drawing. The blonde was currently at the bar, pulling a double. Tricia had called in sick just as Piper's normal shift was supposed to end, so she had called Alex during her break to tell her that she wouldn't be able to make it after the class tonight.

This was really the first time that one of them had cancelled last minute on one another. It wasn't like they had had any real plans for the night, but Alex had been really looking forward to spending the night with her girlfriend. Despite the slight tension still lingering between them, Alex didn't want to be alone.

* * *

"So anyone come forward yet?" asked Big Boo as she blew out a puff of smoke and flicked the ash off the edge of her cigarette.

"No," answered Nicky numbly.

It had been a few days since that dreaded staff meeting, and quiet nerves were thrumming under the surface for everyone.

"Red must be going out of her fucking mind," remarked Tricia as she finished off her own cigarette.

"Yuh fuckin' think, Einstein?!" replied Boo, looking at the younger woman like she was grown a second head or something. "Of course, she's goin' out of her fuckin' mind! Where the hell have you been the past few days?!"

"Sick as a fuckin' dog," replied Tricia in her defense. She had ended up phoning in sick the past days after coming down with something.

As Boo took another drag from her cigarette, she studied the younger woman's face, which was pastier-looking than normal. But she couldn't be for sure. She didn't make a habit of checking out her ex's girlfriend's skin condition. "Funny getting sick right after a bunch of drugs showed up. If I didn't know any better, I would think that the drugs were yours, and you'd been forced to quit cold turkey..."

"Like I told Red. Those ain't my drugs. I'm clean like all of you!" Tricia responded angrily.

"Hey! I'm just sayin'," shrugged Boo. "If the pill fits..." She cocked an eyebrow before letting out a booming laugh.

"Can you guys just cut it out for fucking once?" muttered Nicky as she looked between the two of them. She could usually handle their banter, but not today. She was in no mood. Ever since Sunday, she had been feeling more than a little on edge. It didn't help matters that Red was taking her anger over the situation out on her.

Nicky didn't like the sudden switch in their relationship one bit. It reminded her too much of her relationship with her birth mother, someone she hadn't spoken to in months. Her mother didn't see the need to keep in touch with her daughter regularly like other mothers did. Nicky didn't mind, really. She had long ago given up on having a normal loving relationship with her mother. However, her relationship with Red was a different matter all together. Red was the only family she felt she had, and she hated the distance and tension that had developed between them over the past couple of days. If anything, Red was treating her like she had actually caught her with the drugs.

Nicky couldn't help but feel like she had somehow disappointed Red.

"What the hell is your problem?" asked Boo as she turned her attention onto Nicky.

Nicky just gave Big Boo a dirty look before flicking the rest of her cigarette onto the pavement and heading back inside the bar.

* * *

"I hope whatever she has isn't contagious," murmured Piper worryingly, watching her from her seat at the bar. "I can't afford to be sick at the moment, Al. My art show is next week, and I still haven't completed my pieces."

Alex, who was in the middle of wiping down the bar, just cast a sideways glance at her girlfriend. "Whatever Tricia has...I'm sure you're not goin' to get it."

"How do you know that?" asked Piper skeptically to her girlfriend. No one could predict something like that.

Alex smirked in response to her girlfriend's anxiety. Piper, she was just beginning to discover, was a bit of a germaphobe. "Because I know things," she replied with a twitch of her eyebrows.

"Are you secretly a doctor?"

"No?"

"Then how can you possibly know that I won't get sick with whatever Tricia has!"

"Because I'm pretty sure whatever Tricia is sick with isn't contagious ..." She peered over the rims of her glasses at Piper, raising her eyebrows. The moment she heard that Tricia was sick, just a day after the drugs were found, she had her suspicions that it wasn't the normal flu that she'd come down with. She hadn't really brought it up with Piper though. Talking about it would just mean she would have to probably talk about her own experience going cold turkey. Which hadn't been much fun to do, but she hadn't had much choice in the matter either.

Piper just looked hard at Alex for a second before gasping slightly. "Whoa...wait! You think Tricia brought the drugs in!"

"Ssshhh," hissed Alex, trying to signal a slightly hysterical Piper to keep it down. What she thought of Tricia and her sudden flu like symptoms was just a theory and one she rather keep to herself at the moment. Accusing your co-worker of being under the influence wasn't something that would be taken lightly, and especially not when there was a discovery of drugs at the workplace already.

"Sorry, sorry," Piper whispered quickly as she glanced nervously around them. Sure, Alex and Tricia weren't exactly bosom buddies; and the younger blonde's relationship with Piper wasn't any better. "But you really think?"

"I dunno," shrugged Alex. "But don't you think it's a little too coincidental that Tricia suddenly comes down with the flu a mere day after drugs show up in the staff bathroom?"

Piper was quiet for the moment as she considered what Alex had proposed. She hadn't honestly put two and two together, but now that it had been presented to her, it made perfect sense.

"I don't," concluded Alex matter-of-factly as she stopped wiping the surface of the bar down.

"Are you going to tell Red?" asked Piper wide-eyed as she met her girlfriend's gaze.

"Hell no!" replied Alex firmly. It was true that she didn't like Tricia, but Alex Vause was no snitch. If those were in fact the annoying blonde's pills in the bathroom, she was going to keep her mouth fucking shut. Not because Tricia deserved her loyalty or anything, but because Alex would much rather save her own ass and stay out of the whole thing. She gave Piper a sharp look before turning away and greeting a customer who had just taken a seat at the far end of the bar.

Piper sighed and rested her head into the palm of her hand. She glanced briefly at her tables, making sure she was not needed before shifting her attention back to Alex. She admired her girlfriend as the darkhaired woman smiled and laughed at something the customer had said. She watched as Alex flipped one side of her hair over her shoulder before reaching for a clean glass from below. The customer was male and clearly interested in the brunette, thought Piper with a frown. There wasn't a shift that didn't go by that Piper's very tall and very gorgeous girlfriend didn't get flirted with by both sides of the fence. At first, it had bothered Piper to see Alex get hit on over and over again and for her to actual flirt back at times, but she soon realized she had no real control over the matter. Alex was incredibly attractive, and it was just natural that she'd garner romantic interest. Besides, Piper knew it was all innocent. Alex had told her herself that she only flirted and pretended to be interested to get big tips, a technique that Piper had used herself a number of times.

Alex could feel Piper's eyes on her backside as she filled a glass with beer from the tap. She looked over her shoulder briefly, offering her girlfriend a sly wink before placing the glass down in front of the customer, who had introduced himself as Joe. She made polite conversation with the guy for a few moments before going back to Piper.

The couple exchanged an inside look with each other before being interrupted by the sudden arrival of Nicky from the back. The shorter woman ignored the couple's nonverbal exchange and threw herself into the empty stool beside Piper, a heavy sigh escaping from her lips.

"What's up with you?" asked Alex with a raised brow at her friend's unusual behaviour. Nicky had been in some sort of funk since Sunday. She knew it had something to do with Red's behaviour towards her, but it wasn't like Nicky to be such a closed book.

This whole drug thing at the bar had everyone messed up.

Alex met Nicky's eye as she reached for the dish towel again, threading it through her fingers and leaning slightly up against the bar. As much as she wanted to, she didn't dare to reach out for Piper's hand which was resting so close to her. She didn't dare to do anything now to risk her job, not with Red on the warpath and everything.

"Nothin'," sulked Nicky.

Alex couldn't help but smirk slightly at Nicky's behaviour.

"How's everything with Lorna going?" Piper asked Nicky with interest. She wanted to do something to cheer up Nicky and to make everything a little more lighter.

Nicky stared at Piper for a second, before smiling slightly. "Lorna's good," she replied.

"I haven't seen her since that time at your place. We should do that again...It was fun...Oh! If you guys are free next week, you should come to my art opening!"

"Yeah, I guess it has been a while since we all hung out together." Nicky ran a hand through her mane of curls while sitting up in her seat. "I'm sure Lorna would love to go to your art show. She's always goin' off on how we need to get more cultured." The blonde couldn't help but feel her spirits lift slightly as she thought about her girlfriend.

"Well, I don't know how 'cultural' it's going to be. It's not at the MoMA or anything," Piper spoke, catching Alex looking at her. "But there is free wine usually."

"Are you goin' to this free wine show that Chapman's in, Vause?" Nicky asked Alex. "You missed the last one, didn't you?"

Alex looked over her glasses briefly at Nicky before meeting Piper's eye. She hoped to make it this time to Piper's art show, but she still wasn't sure if she would get the shift off.

"I hope so," she replied , her eyes still focused on Piper, who smiled back at her.

"Ah, you guys disgust me..."cried out Nicky at the couple. She shook her head before jumping off of the stool and leaving them to serve a new customer to her section.

Piper watched her go before looking back to Alex.

* * *

Piper watched the entrance of the bar like a hawk waiting for Alex to come out. Both their shifts, along with Nicky's, had just finished. It was still early in the night, and the couple had plans to go see a movie.

"You want one?" asked Nicky as she shoved her pack of cigarettes in Piper's face.

Piper looked down at Nicky was a slight look of disgust before shaking her head politely no.

Nicky couldn't help but laugh. "What? My cigarettes not good enough for you, Chapman?"

"No," stated Piper. "I just don't smoke." Her eyes lingered on her co-worker for a second before shifting back to the door.

"Alex says you do," shrugged Nicky as she pulled out a cigarette for herself from the pack.

Piper shot Nicky another nasty look at this comment. "Does Alex tell you everything?"

Nicky didn't answer right away, putting the cigarette between her lips and taking her time lighting it before looking up at the blonde. "Haven't we already been down this road before?" she asked, referring to the time Piper had asked her what Alex had told her about their first time together. "Yes, she tells me things."

Piper hadn't meant to snap at Nicky. She knew that Alex talked to Nicky, just like Nicky talked to Alex about Lorna. "I'm sorry," she whispered after a moment had passed.

"You seem bothered by something," observed Nicky as she blew out a masterful ring of smoke. "Something other than me knowing how much you like a cigarette after a good shag..."

"It's nothing," replied Piper, ignoring the other woman's last sentence.

"Come on, Chapman," urged Nicky. She was curious to hear what was bothering Piper, but she also did want to help the blonde out too if she could. "Clearly something is up. If it's about the big bad brunette, I promise I won't tell her anything."

Piper was quiet as she looked between Nicky and the door. She didn't know how to bring up the topic, and she could kinda already guess what Nicky's response would be. But now that subject had been already brought up, the temptation was too much for her not to ask.

"You promise not to tell Alex because she going to be pissed that I asked you this..." started Piper.

"Yes, I promise," replied Nicky raising her hand. "Scout's honour."

Piper looked around her like she was afraid of people overhearing. "How do I get her to talk to me...about stuff?" Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke.

"That's what is fucking bothering you? How to get your girlfriend to talk to you about stuff?" Nicky was trying to suppress the smirk from her face. She knew that this was important and a serious issue for Piper, but she couldn't help herself but be slightly amused by it all.

"Not random stuff. Like... _stuff_."

"...an example?"

"Her past."

"Ahh," replied Nicky finally getting what the blonde was getting at. She blinked her eyes briefly before taking a drag from the cigarette.

"Like...I know I should wait and be patient for her to come to me. But...I dunno. I just feel like it's this big part of who she is and by not knowing...I don't really know her...you know. I dunno...I just want to help her..."

Piper looked so earnest, Nicky couldn't find it in herself to give her a hard time.

"Look. Alex is like a closed book when it comes to things like this. And yes, she might talk to me more openly about her past and shit. But that's because I was there. We did that shit together. It's easier for her to talk to me...than to you," explained Nicky as best as she could to Piper.

"I guess," mumbled Piper, clearly dejected.

"That's just how Vause is..." Nicky shrugged her shoulders as if to suggest there was nothing that neither of them could do about it. She knew that Alex had her own reasons for not telling Piper about the past, and Piper should just accept that for now.

The tall blonde opened her mouth to say something in response, but before she could, she felt someone's arms wrap around her body.

"Hey, baby," whispered Alex as she pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

"Hey," Piper whispered back shakily. She hoped that Alex hadn't caught any of her conversation with Nicky.

"What were you guys talking about?" Alex asked with interest, moving to stand beside Piper while keeping one arm wrapped around her shoulder and glancing between her and Nicky.

"Um..." mumbled Piper nervously as she caught Nicky's eye briefly.

The shorter woman just smirked at the blonde before shifting her attention decisively onto Alex. She knew she could easily throw the blonde under the bus here, but she didn't have that evil spirit in her today.

"Nothin' much. Chapman here was just telling me about her fancy art show," lied Nicky easily.

Piper felt relief run through her body at Nicky's response. She knew she wasn't doing it just to save her ass but her own ass too. They both would be in deep shit had Alex heard them talking behind her back like that, even if it were out of concern.

The blonde mouthed a grateful thank you to Nicky as they caught each other's eye briefly.

"What took you so long?" asked Piper, turning her attention onto Alex.

"Nothin' much," answered Alex with a slight shrug. "Red just wanted to talk to me."

"About what?"

"About nothing really. Just about my shifts next week."

"That's it?" asked Piper, a bit unconvinced.

Alex studied her girlfriend's face for a second. She couldn't help but feel like she was being grilled or something, which didn't sit well with her at all. "That's it," she stated with a slight edge to her voice. And it was the truth. Red had just called her in to discuss her rotation for next week and her request to have the night of Piper's art show off.

"Oh...I just thought..." Piper began to ramble again but decided against bringing it up. For a moment she had thought that Red had wanted to talk to Alex about the drugs or something. Or that Alex had decided to tell the boss about Tricia after all.

"Just thought what, Chapman?" asked Nicky with eyebrows raised in exaggerated interest. "Come on, spit it out..." She was mostly trying to rattle the blonde's feathers, but a part of her was genuinely curious.

"Nothing. It's nothing," murmured Piper quickly. Her eyes searched Alex's face, which she couldn't quite read.

Silence suddenly fell over the trio of women. Nicky just stood there smirking, enjoying the curious drama that was currently flaring between the couple. Piper continued to look nervously up at Alex, who was staring back at her with a schooled expression.

Alex was more than a little rattled at Piper's suspicions against her, but like Piper, she didn't want to start a fight again, much less in front of a smug Nicky. Alex had been looking forward to her movie date night with Piper and didn't want to ruin it now. She gave Piper a small smile, before kissing the corner of her mouth.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually got me to see this movie," complained Alex as she followed Piper through the dimly lit theatre to their seats. They were the only ones currently in the theatre, and Alex expected that it would stay that way.

"Where should we sit?" asked Piper as she took the stairs two at a time. She didn't know if she wanted to sit in the middle of the theatre in the centre or sit up higher in the very back row.

"I dunno," commented Alex. "We don't have a lot of options..." The brunette smiled cheekily at her girlfriend, who turned around and gave her a dirty look.

"Well, I think we should sit here," replied Piper as she turned back to her task and continued to walk up a few stairs to the second-to-last row.

Alex didn't say anything, simply following Piper to the middle of the row before sliding into the seat beside her. "Here," she said, thrusting the bag of extra buttery popcorn into Piper's hands.

"Thanks," said Piper as she took the bag and grabbed an enthusiastic handful of popcorn from the top of it. She smiled sheepishly at Alex as she shoved the popcorn into her mouth. She was happy that she had been able to convince Alex to see this movie and not one of their staple Hollywood blockbusters. This was one of those indie films that Piper used to watch all the time back at Smith with her art friends. Most of those actually ended up being pretty crap, but Piper found discovering them half of the fun. Remembering Nicky's comment about Lorna's wishes, Piper thought that she and Alex should see a bit of culture for once on a date too.

Alex, for her part, knew nothing about the movie and honestly didn't really care to know much. She was just kinda hoping that this might provide her with a good chance of hooking up with her adorable girlfriend. So what if that made it sound like an idiot high school jock, the movie theatre was always a fun place to hook up at, and she was really hoping that her girlfriend would feel the same way once the movie got going.

"This is nice," spoke Piper as she continued to eat away at the popcorn. Alex had offered to take her out to dinner before the movie as neither had really eaten since before work, but they quickly struck that idea out knowing that they'd miss the beginning of the movie, so Piper had settled for a nice big bag of buttery popcorn for dinner. It wasn't the healthiest thing she could be having as a meal, but it sure was yummy, she thought. She promised herself that she would have a nice big healthy salad tomorrow for lunch to balance out her dietary karma.

"What is?" asked Alex as she reached over and took a handful of popcorn from the bag nestled in Piper's lap. "The popcorn or being alone in a movie theatre? Because if it's the being alone part... I'm all with you..." Her voice lowered slightly as she inched her face closer to Piper.

Piper tilted her head back at this and laughed. "Yes, both of those are nice," she whispered as she gave Alex a quick kiss on the lips. "But that's not what I meant...It's nice to see a movie together. To be on a proper date."

"Proper date?" whispered Alex, raising a eyebrow. "We've been on proper dates."

"Not in a while we haven't," intoned Piper. "Lately, we've just ended up staying in at either your place or mine, ordering in food and what not." Implicitly, she also meant that it was nice to be in a good place again. After the drama at the bar and their brief disagreement shortly thereafter, it was comforting to be doing something normal like seeing a movie together. They hadn't talked about it specifically, but Piper was trying hard not to step on Alex's toes like she had on Sunday.

"I like the what not," teased Alex trying to go in for another kiss.


	26. Chapter 26

The night breeze was cold against their skin as they left the theatre together. Alex immediatly wrapped her arm around Piper's shoulder, holding her close as they walked in step down the sidewalk.

"What did you think?" asked Piper, glancing up at Alex. She was eager to hear her thoughts on the movie.

"It wasn't bad," admitted Alex with a smirk. The movie had surprised her a little, in a good way. It wasn't as boring as she thought it would be.

Piper couldn't help but smile at hearing this.

"What?" asked Alex noticing the look on her girlfriend's face.

"Nothin'," shrugged Piper. "It just seems that you liked the movie."

Alex just shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. So she had liked it, no big deal.

"You liked it..." sang out Piper, teasing Alex.

Alex rolled her eyes as the blonde continued to tease her about liking the movie.

"Alex liked an art film..."

"Speaking of art," interjected Alex, trying to change the topic. "You know earlier when I told you about talking with Red..."

"Yeah?" murmured Piper nervously. The mention of that conversation again scared her a little.

"Well...I was able to get the day off for your art show."

The nervous look that blonde was currently wearing faded from her face and was replaced with a smile. "Are you serious?" she asked, making sure she had heard Alex right.

"Yes. I'm serious. I coming this time to your show," replied Alex with a grin. She was happy to see Piper happy like she was currently.

The blonde let out a squeal of excitement before throwing her arms around Alex's neck and kissing her fully on the lips. There was no one else in the world she wanted to be at her show than Alex. Alex hands immediatly moved to rest on the blonde's slender hips as her mouth responded to the kiss.

Just as things were about to get heated, a noise from behind broke them apart. The confused couple turned to see a man in his late twenties to early thirties smiling creepily at them.

"Oh," stated the man. "Please don't stop on my account. Please continue."

Alex just stared coldly at this creep who was looking at the two of them with lustful eyes. She immediatly took a step forward, blocking not only Piper from the man's view, but to tower over the man who was just an inch or two shorter then she was. She was overcome with a need to fight and protect her girlfriend.

"Fuck off," she spat. She had dealt with creeps like this before, who thought that two women kissing was a show for his own pleasure and nothing else.

"Wooo...someone's got a bit of a filthy mouth...I like...very much..." the man's smile stretched further across his face. His eyes were no longer on Alex's face really but her chest which was displayed nicely in a snug low cut white tee.

"I got a lot more than a filthy mouth,"

"I would say so," agreed the man, still looking at Alex's chest.

"Alex," whispered Piper. "Let's just leave." Her hand touched Alex on the back of the shoulder, trying to get her attention. She didn't want Alex to get into any sort of trouble with this guy, who she figured was mostly drunk or high or both.

Alex just ignored Piper, shrugging her off her shoulder as she stared down this guy. This guy wasn't anything to be scared of. She was use to dealing with guys like this at the bar.

"So your name is Alex," spoke the creep. "And what's the pretty blonde's name?" He looked up at Alex at this as if expecting for her to actually answer.

"Look buddy," began Alex. She was in no mood for this crap at the moment. She had been in a good mood for the first time in days, but now it didn't seem to matter. She was pissed off by this creep. "I'm going to give you one last chance to leave with your balls still in place..."

The creeps eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement at the mention of his balls. He just merely chuckled at Alex's threat. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by her.

"Alexx..."whispered Piper urgently.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Alex's voice was stern like a teachers as she stared down this man. She could sense that Piper was scared that she was going to start something with him, which she wasn't. This guy wasn't worth the hassle. But she wasn't going to back down either.

The drunk just merely chuckled in response to Alex. His eyes once again falling onto her chest. He was still wearing that smug grin across his face, thinking that he still had some sort of chance with hooking up with the two of them that night.

No one said anything for a moment or two as they all waited to see what would happen next. Alex's patience was fading by the moment. She just wanted to get away from this guy and head back to Piper's apartment like they originally had been doing. She looked at the guy for a second longer before turning her attention completely away from him and onto Piper.

The brunette gave the blonde a soft smile before saying, "Let's get out of here."

Piper looked briefly up at Alex before nodding her head in agreement. She was more than ready to get out of there and away from this man.

They then began to walk away from the drunk, heading back in the direction of the theatre. They would have to take the longer route back to Piper's apartment. Alex figured it would be safer this way, then going the other way.

The drunk called out after them, but they continued on their way.

"Don't look back," whispered Alex as she pressed a hand to the small of Piper's back, leading her away. She knew that this could go to ways, that the creep would just let them go like nothing had happened. Or that he would become hustle. This wasn't the first time she had been in this situation before. And both times it had gone either way. She assumed this guy would doing nothing, he seemed pretty harmless but she wasn't willing to take that chance by staying around much longer.

However, she had seemed to misread the guy because before she knew it, the guy was right behind them, tugging on Piper's hand.

Piper let out a shrilled scream of surprise as the man's hand wrapped tightly around her left wrist. She turned her attention immediatly on the man, who smiled back at her.

"Don't think I would let you go so easily, did ya?" he asked.

"What of fuck off, don't you understand?" cried out Alex to him. Her anger once again returning at this turn of events. "LET HER GO!" Her eyes were filled with fire as she stare down at this low life. She took a step forward and stood just mere inches from this guy. If he wanted to start something, he would have to do it with her and not Piper.

"Come on baby share a little..."cooed the man, who was still holding on tightly to Piper's wrist.

The blonde was trying to wrench her wrist away but the man was too strong for her.

"Let her go!" warned Alex again.

The man just laughed at this. He was very amused by this whole situation. "How about you give me a kiss first..." He puckered up his lips and titled his face upwards to Alex's.

The brunette just merely looked at him for a second before shoving him hard on the chest. She pushed him with all her strength, causing him to let go of Piper's wrist immediately and take a few stumbling steps back.

* * *

_"RUN!"_

_The room spinned before her eyes. She tried to make sense of where she was, but everything was one big blur. She could hear someone pounding on the other side of the door, desperate to come in. She heard them say something but she could exactly make it out. She felt like she was underwater or something as she continued to lay on the floor._

_"GET UP!" someone hissed close to her ear. "RUN!" cried another voice in the room._

_She turned her head to see who it was but they were just a blur of a shadow. It was then she realized she wasn't wearing her glasses._

_That was weird, she thought. She didn't remember taking them off._

_"Lilly...?" she whispered, sprinting up at the face suddenly in front of hers. "Lilly." A small smile spread across her face at recognizing the lovely face of her girlfriend. "Baby...what's happening?"_

_"ALEX!SHHHH..." warned Lilly. The woman studied her face for a second before glancing away, towards the door where the person was still trying to get in._

_"POLICE! OPEN UP!"_

_"Lilllyyy...someone's at the door..."she cried trying to get her girlfriend's attention. She didn't understand why Lilly wasn't opening it. It seemed urgent._

_"Alex! We have to leave! Get up!" whispered Lilly harshly once again at her. Her brown eyes locked with hers for a second before she was reaching for her hand and trying to pull her to her feet._

_"Wherearewegoin'?" she asked, slurring her words slightly as she attempted to get up. The room once again seemed to move around her. "I need my glasses..."_

_"Later baby..."whispered Lilly as she wrapped her arm around her shoulder and began to lead her towards the open window on the far side of the room. "We have to go now!"_

_"My glasses..."she whispered, trying to pull away from Lilly's hold. "I can't fucking see!" She was suddenly overcome with anger. She didn't seen the rush to leave. Didn't Lilly see that she was struggling here? She was practically blind without her glasses? Couldn't Lilly see that, she thought._

_She closed her eyes briefly to stop the sudden throbbing of her brain. She shouldn't have drank that third whisky she thought. Or done that third hit on the bong really either... Man she was out of it, she thought._

_"ALEX! COME ON!" hissed Lilly who was getting more mad by the moment at her._

_"FUCK BOSSING ME AROUND!" she cried, opening up her eyes and looking in the direction she thought her girlfriend was. "MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO GO!"_

_"ALEX! The fucking police are moments away from storming in..."hissed Lilly again in outrage at her girlfriend. "This isn't the time to act like a child. If you stay...you're going to get fucking caught. Do you seriously want to get arrested?"_

_She didn't say anything to this right away. Instead, she pondered what she had just been told. No, she didn't really want to be caught, but she was tired of running. It seemed like they were always running or sneaking around. Her life seemed to be out of her control all the sudden. She use to know herself, but now she wasn't so sure. She couldn't seem to function without taking a hit and getting high. She hated herself when she was sober and she hated herself when she was high. It was no longer this fun thing._

_The pounding on the door continued to get louder. The door was currently locked, but that wasn't going to stop the cops from trying to get in._

_"OPEN UP!"_

_Lilly just looked at her for a second longer before turning away. "Whatever. It's you're funeral," she whispered, finally giving up on her. She then moved towards the window and fled from the room, leaving her girlfriend behind._

_Her heart pounded against her chest as the pounding on the door continued to get louder. It would only be a few more moments before the lock on the door would be broken and they would bust through. Her eyes shifted towards the open window. It was so easy for her to escape...however her feet wouldn't move fast enough. They seemed to be somewhat glued to the floor._

Alex awoke abruptly from her sleep.

Her eyes rapidly blinked open and closed trying to take in the room. It was pitched black. She couldn't see a thing. Her heart raced against her chest as she tried to make sense of everything.

Her ears were ringing, but she wasn't exactly sure why. The loud pounding was gone and replaced with silence. There was no one trying to get into the room. There was no one their telling her to get up and leave the room. She seemed to be alone.

She just sat there in the bed, deeply confused for a second or two longer before it slowly started to make some sense. By the smell of the room, she knew she was in Piper's bed. It smelt like her. The brunette's eyes immediately shifted to the empty side of the bed. She immediately began to wonder where Piper was and how did she ended up here? The last thing she could remember clearly was leaving the movie theatre with the blonde...

Man, what had she drank that night? she thought to cause her such memory loss. It had been a while since she had felt so out of it.

Alex turned on the lamp in the room, filling it with light. Her eyes immediately fell onto her glasses on the nightstand. She shoved them onto the bridge of her nose, once again looking around the room which was much more clearer now. She was slightly more calmer now then she had been a few moments ago. However, her heart was still pounding with anxiety.

She needed a cigarette, she thought and badly. Her eyes searched for a pack of them on the night stand but came up empty.

"Fuck," she cursed as she ran a hand through her hair which was sticking to the back of her neck. She hated how fluttered and unsure she was feeling at the moment. Her hands were shaking as she lifted the covers off of her body and slowly got out of the bed. She looked down briefly at her body which was dressed in nothing but the white tee from earlier and underwear. She once again pounder how weird it was that she didn't know how she had gotten like this.

Pushing open the bedroom door, she stood there for a second watching Piper, who had her back to her. The blonde's hair was up in a bun and she was labouring over her easel. She was unaware of Alex's presence as she continued to paint away.

Alex felt her self calm down slightly as she got lost in her girlfriend's movements. She had the grace of a dancer when she painted, she thought.

It was peaceful to see.

The brunette stayed there for a few moments longer before taking a step towards the blonde. She knew that Piper wouldn't be able to hear her approach due to the earbubs in her ears. As she got closer she could pick up slightly on the music coming from them. She didn't want to scare her as she debated on how to get the blonde's attention.

Once, Alex was close enough to touch Piper, she just simply reached out and tapped her on the shoulder.

The blonde jumped slightly in surprise, causing her to drop the paintbrush she was holding to the floor. However, Piper wasn't mad at being interrupted as she turned to see Alex. She smiled at the brunette as she pulled out the earbubs from her ears.

"You're up."

Alex just nodded her head in response to this. She fidgeted with her glasses for a second as Piper continued to look at her.

"Have you see my cigarettes?" she asked, remembering why she had come out here in the first place.

"Oh...yeah," murmured Piper. "You left them in the kitchen." She walked away from Alex and into the kitchen, where the cigarettes were resting on the counter. "Are you okay?" asked the blonde as she looked over her shoulder at Alex. "You've been acting kinda funny since we got home..."

Alex just nodded her head as she reached out and took the cigarettes from the blonde. She knew that Piper wanted to talk and help her out. But again, she just wasn't up for sharing.

Neither of them spoke as Alex pulled a cigarette out from the box and immediately lit it with the lighter Piper had handed her. Her eyes closed as she took a long drag. She felt her body begin to calm down.

Piper studied Alex for a moment, before returning to her painting. She knew that something was bothering Alex. Ever since what had happened with that guy, Alex had been a little distant.

Alex took a seat on the couch, while she finished off one cigarette and started another one. She watched Piper cleaning up her paints through the corner of her eye. She was trying to stay in the present, but her thoughts continued to travel back to the dream. What had happened with that drunk had somehow reminded her of what had happened to her years ago. After he had let go of Piper's wrist, the couple had ran as fast as they could away.

"Come here," whispered Alex as she finished off her third cigarette and met Piper's eye.

Piper just looked at Alex for a moment, before coming towards the couch. The brunette immediately reached out and pulled her down on top of her. She couldn't help but laugh as she fell onto Alex.

Alex didn't say anything as she wrapped her arms around Piper's waist, holding her against her chest. She didn't feel like talking or doing anything but feeling the warmth of Piper's body against her own.

"What do you want to do?" asked Piper after a moment had passed.

"Nothing," replied back Alex, slipping her hand slightly underneath the material of Piper's shirt.

"Okay." Piper was fine with doing nothing.

"Do you want to talk about what happened...earlier with that guy..."she asked shyly after a moment.

"Not really."

"Well...I think we should..."

"Why? He was just a drunk." stated Alex.

Piper frowned at this, but didn't push the topic any further. Instead she just twisted her neck so that she could see Alex's face better. She gave her girlfriend a small smile before whispering a thank you. She hadn't been able to thank her yet for the way she had protected her.


	27. Chapter 27

Zeppelin's Black Dog was playing in the background as Alex finished getting ready. Piper's art show was tonight and the brunette was to be meeting her there at the gallery.

She listened to the song play out as she looked at her appearance in the mirror. Despite having a full face of makeup on, the dark circles underneath her eyes were visible. She hadn't slept much lately. Her mind was always going around in circles and when she was finally able to fall asleep, she suffered from nightmares and strange dreams. She wasn't even quite sure if these dreams were really dreams or memories or a weird fragmentation of both.

She thought that it would go away soon. All this anxiety and things from the past. But it hadn't. Last night had been especially bad. She had dreamt of the night she had gotten arrest, again. This particular part of her past was a constant recurring element of her dreams. It was the same old thing time and time again. The room would spin, making her unable to make out her surroundings at first. The loud pounding at the door. The sound so loud it seemed like it was going to break her eardrums. Lilly hissing at her to get up and flee...

Like most of Alex's exs, she didn't make a point of thinking about them. However, like everything else from her past, Alex couldn't stop thinking about all the women she had once claimed to love. There was Cori. The sexy beast who had started this whole thing. Then Claire, Aleasha, Jac and then Lilly. There was of course a few afterwards, but those five had all played a part in her downfall. They had all been very different from one another and that was probably why she had gone out with them. She didn't want to go out with someone who reminded her of her ex. She had wanted to forget them for a reason. Of course, being under the influence of heroin had helped a little too.

She use to wonder what had happened to Lilly after that night. Alex of course had been arrest and courted off to prison. But she never did find out what had happened to her supposed call love at the time. She use to think that they were destined to be together forever like they were in some black and white movie. But now, she knew that it wouldn't had lasted much longer if she had escaped out of the room with her. Alex hated how she was thinking about Lilly and if their love from years ago was actually real. She shouldn't be thinking so much of her ex girlfriends. Not when she had a pretty good girlfriend present in her life now.

But there was just something about Lilly and that night she had gotten arrested that she couldn't help but compare to what had happened last week with that creep.

Alex was still trying to piece together what had happened after she pushed the guy. Piper had tired to fill in the blanks for her when she had asked. The blonde had explained how they had immediatly ran away from the guy and to Piper's apartment.

That was it really.

There wasn't a lot that Alex had blanked out on.

However, it still scared the shit out of her that she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember Piper squeezing her hand the whole way as they bolted down the streets like children running to get home for dinner. She couldn't remember the adrenaline that Piper had described coursing through her body, fearing for her life. Not the protest of her muscles as she pushed them to the max that night. She couldn't remember any of it.

Not even one little tiny second.

She could remember the high pitched giggle of Lilly's every time the needle was inserted into her arm. She could remember the dark rich purple the walls of the bathroom of the nightclub had been the first time she had tried E. Or the gentle softness of Nicky's lips against her own that one time they had drunkenly kissed. She could seem to remember a thousand of little details like this. But not anything of that night, just a couple of days ago.

She knew she was too young to be having memory lost or worrying about losing her memory. She had never blacked out like this before, at least not while sober. Maybe, she was blocking out that night for a reason? Maybe the presence of that drunken creep made her realize that no matter how hard she tired to be in control, she couldn't always be.

Alex knew that guy had stirred something inside of her. That guy had scared her. She hated to admit it, but he had. He hadn't backed off. Not when she had threatened him. Usually, they backed off...

The whole event had been something very similar to what she had experienced sometime before. Alex was just having trouble putting her finger on it. But she had a pretty good idea that it had happened to her before. She also knew that there was no point in dwelling on it either, because like every thing else from her past lately it would unravel itself.

Letting out a loud sigh, Alex reached for the tube of lipstick resting on the dresser and reapplied it to her lips. Despite, her tiredness and overall shittiness, she wanted to look good for her girl. Tonight wasn't about her and she didn't want it to be. This was Piper's night to shine and she was fully ready to bath in it.

Placing the lid back onto the tube, Alex took a step back from the full length mirror, which hung on the back of the closet door. The brunette gave herself one last glance over before leaving the room. She had her hair done up in it's signature pin up do. There was thick black eyeliner around her eyes and her lips were a dark scarlet red. On her body she had kept it very minimal with skinny black ankle glaziers with rips down the front and a sleeveless white blouse. She wasn't really sure what one wore to an art show, but she assumed since it was not in a very fancy area of the City that the slightly edgy slightly classic look would do.

* * *

Alex was one of the first people to arrive at the gallery. Her eyes immediatly fell onto Piper, who had her back turned towards her and was in the middle of a conversation with someone. She assumed that this was probably one of the others artist showing that night by their low-key entire. There was only a handful of others in the small gallery space.

Waiting for Piper to finish her conversation, Alex slowly moved further into the room. She looked briefly at a near by painting which was a bright abstract piece. She wasn't really sure what the art show was about. Piper had probably told her beforehand, but she didn't recall anything now as she continued to look at the painting. She wasn't really interested in it though. She was more interested in the hot blonde in the leather shorts and crop top. God, she looked good that night, Alex thought to herself admiring her girlfriend through the corner of her eye. Piper had her hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She looked sultry and youthful to Alex in that outfit she was wearing. By the sudden feeling of warmth in her stomach, the brunette knew it was going to be one long night for her. She immediatly just wanted to take Piper away from the gallery and have her in the alley or somewhere close by.

The brunette had to wait a few more moments before the guy that Piper was talking to finally excused himself, allowing for Alex to slip in.

Alex reached out and placed a hand on the crook of Piper's elbow, making her turn around immediatly.

Piper's face broke out into a smile at seeing Alex. "Hey baby!" She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice at seeing her.

"Hey," greeted Alex, returning the smile. The couple stayed like this for a moment, staring at each other like two idiots before sharing a quick kiss.

"When did you get here?" asked Piper with interest as she pulled away from Alex.

"Just a few minutes ago really," spoke Alex as she wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist. She had no intentions of leaving her girlfriend's side for the rest of the night. She didn't care if Piper had to network and smooze with art dealers and other important people that night. She would be right there with her while she did it.

"I like this outfit." Her green eyes roamed Piper's body, taking in the sight of her long toned legs once again in those shorts.

"Thanks," whispered Piper as she looked down at herself. She liked what she was wearing too. It was comfortable and that's what she liked most about it. She had thought about wearing a dress and such but it was still way too hot outside for all the fuss and grooming.

Alex couldn't resist kissing the blonde again. She was just so fucking adorable at the moment with her hair up like it was. Sure, Piper wore her hair in a ponytail at work, but this was different. Here she wasn't something she couldn't have, she was all hers here.

Her hand slipped slightly underneath the blonde's top, feeling the expand of her ribs as she took in a breathe. She knew it would be a while until she could have her alone, but that didn't mean she couldn't innocently touch her.

Piper smiled as feeling the heat of Alex's hand on her flesh. She looked at the brunette for a second before slipping her hand from underneath her top and placing it on her hip. "Your going to kill me...you know? If you keep on doing that..."

Alex just smiled cheekily at hearing this.

Piper just gave the taller woman a look before taking her hand and leading her towards the makeshift bar in the back corner of the gallery space. She wanted to show Alex around the show, but first she was in need of a drink. She was a nervous wreck at the moment. She didn't know how the night would go or who would be showing up. She was glad that she had Alex by her side this time around. It had been a relief to see her girlfriend's gorgeous face.

Piper talked Alex's ear off as they made their way slowly through the line to the front of the bar. The gallery had filled up quite a bit with people since Alex had arrived.

"Who else is coming tonight?" asked Alex as she looked around the filled room. There was only one person in front of them now the line.

"Well Nicky and Lorna are coming later. Probably around tenish, I guess," explained Piper. Nicky had to work tonight but said that she would come by afterwards with Lorna. The four of them had plans to go out after the show was over, which Piper was looking forward too. The four of them had never done a double date thing before. Alex, she knew would like hanging out with Nicky outside of work and herself, actually wanted to discuss some things with Lorna. She wanted to ask how Lorna dealt with Nicky's past. Nicky had been no help on the matter when she asked that one time. The blonde just wanted some advice on how she should handle Alex's.

"Is Polly coming?" asked Alex.

"No. You're safe. She's away in Cape Code at the moment," spoke Piper. Her best friend had tried to make her come alone for the trip. It was rare for Piper not to be spending the summer there at her family's summer home which was right besides Polly's, but she much rather work and earn money then lay around on some beach listening to Polly groan about some problem with the wedding planning. "My little brother, Cal might be coming though..."

Her voice trailed off as she nervously met Alex's eye. Piper had yet to tell anyone in her family about her current relationship with Alex. However, Cal was different. He didn't have a stick up his ass like the rest of their family members did. Her little bro, she knew she could trust with this.

Alex raised an eyebrow at hearing this. This was news to her. Piper had talked about her Cal before with her, but she didn't actually think she would meet the guy anytime soon. She knew that to Piper's family, she didn't exist and she was fine with that.

"Is that okay?" asked Piper in a whisper. "I know I should had mention it before with you. Like we have never discussed meeting each other's families or anything? But Cal is really a good guy and will be happy for me. For us. He won't be like Polly...He's not like that."

"Kid," spoke Alex gently. She inched her face close to Piper's. "It's fine. I will happily meet anyone from your family if you want me too...or not. I'm good either way."

Normally, Alex didn't meet anyone's parents. She wasn't usually the girl that you brought home to meet mom. And she usually rather not meet the parents for that was a big step in any relationship. She, herself never brought anyone home to meet her mom. However, she could sense that would be changing very soon. Ever since she mention Piper to her mom, she was always asked about and such. Alex knew her mom wanted to meet the girl, who her mother claimed to "Steal her daughter's heart." She knew that the two of them would be eventually at some point. However, she still wasn't sure if she was ready to make that step. Not that she didn't care about Piper or thought of her as like any of her exs. She already knew that this relationship was different from her past ones. But that didn't mean she was any less paranoid that something would go wrong. She was probably more paranoid then she had ever been before in a relationship that something would go wrong or that she would do something to screw it all up. Yes, things had developed quickly so far with the two of them and she wanted things to continue to progress, but she didn't want to push it either.

"Kay," whispered Piper before kissing Alex softly on the lips.

After getting their drink, Alex a beer and Piper a white wine, they moved towards the front of the gallery where Piper's piece hung.

Alex had seen the piece a few times before from its early stages to the final ones. She had seen Piper's work of her before, but never something so big and complete looking. The painting was a large wooden panel, with Alex standing in the centre of it, stark naked. She wore a smirk on her face, as her green eyes pierced out onto the viewer. The painting was done in a loose gestural style more commonly known in drawings. Piper had asked her one night to pose for her and this had developed from it. She wasn't wearing her glasses and her hair was down and covering her breasts. She looked some sort of modern Eve with the teal blue ends of her hair falling just underneath her ribcage and her sleeve of tattoos.

"What do you think?" asked Piper as she took a sip from her glass and looked over at Alex. She had a good sense on what Alex would say about the painting, but she still wanted to hear her thoughts.

Alex shifted her eyes away from the painting and onto the blonde. She couldn't help, but smirk, mimicking the one in the painting. "Do you really have to ask?"

A smile spread suddenly on Piper's face, "Come on...just humour me...What do you think?"

"It's amazing kid. Just like everything you do. It's fucking amazing," replied Alex, leaning slightly into Piper.

"Thank you," whispered Piper taking another sip from her wine. "But what do you think of the piece like...it's you..." She gestured towards the painting, looking briefly away from real Alex to painted Alex.

"Yes it is."

"Don't be a wiseass and tell me what you think? Does it look like you? Do you like it?" asked Piper, once again trying to get an answer out of her girlfriend. She didn't want to just be praised for her work.

Alex let out a sigh as she took a drink from the beer bottle and studied the painting. She didn't know what kind of answer Piper was looking for. She wasn't good with all this art stuff and she hated that Piper was putting her on the spot like this. The couple was quiet for a moment before Alex said something.

"I like it," stated Alex lamely.

"And?..."

"And..." Alex shook she head slightly at how stupid this all was. "I think it does look like me. I look like a badass Eve who's saying fuck Adam...I'm going to eat that apple and enjoy it."

Piper grinned at Alex's critique of the painting. She hadn't really had anything in mind of when she was working on the painting. It had just sort of started as something silly, having Alex pose for her in her apartment one night. But then this finished piece came out of it after working on it for a couple of days more.

"What?" asked Alex, cocking an eyebrow. "You don't think I'm a badass Eve?"

"You wouldn't be Eve for one second," argued Piper playfully. "You would more be the snake leering poor Eve to eat the apple."

"That's even fucking better," agreed Alex. She liked the idea that she was the snake who leered the innocent brainless Eve away from that Adam guy and into the garden to eat the apple. Taking a drink from her beer, she wrapped an arm around Piper's waist and kissed her neck. "I'm the snake and your my Eve..."

Piper couldn't help but giggle as Alex's breath tickled her neck.

* * *

It was an hour later into the night as Alex made her way through her second beer and found herself watching Piper from afar. Despite not leaving herself, Piper had been swiped away from some of the other artist for a moment.

The show was going well so far, she thought. She wasn't really sure what made a good art show, but the night had been enjoyable. It was nice to see Piper in her element, thriving and talking with everyone here. Alex had been introduced to them as Piper's muse. Alex had never been described like that before, but the name was sitting well with her. She liked the idea of being someone's muse. It made it seem like she played a more major part in Piper's art practice than she actually did.

Pressing the glass of the bottle against her lips, her eyes narrowed slightly as Piper threw her arms around some guy. Alex was a little on guard at first as the guy placed a kiss on Piper's cheek, his hand lingering on the small of her back. However, it soon dawned on her that this might be the famous brother Cal she had heard so much about. He did have the same blonde hair and blue eyes as Piper did. This became more true as Piper and this guy began to approach Alex.

The brunette smiled at her girlfriend as they caught each other's eye.

"Alex," spoke Piper. "This is Cal." The young woman turned her head slightly to the man on her right hand side. "Cal. This is Alex."

"Ah...the woman from the painting. The muse.." joked Cal as he turned his head to face Alex. "It's nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand towards Alex to shake in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you too," replied back Alex, giving Cal's outstretched hand a shake.

There was a brief moment of quietness amongst the three of them. Both Cal and Alex were looking towards Piper to further with introductions. Alex, of course knew about Cal and how he was the pot smoking younger Chapman sibling. However, Cal didn't know anything about Alex other than she was the inspiration for his sister's paining.

"Cal, Alex is a lot more than just a muse to me," began to explain Piper shyly as she took Alex's hand and intertwined her fingers with hers.

Alex smiled in encouragement to the blonde. She knew that Piper was nervous about introducing her as her girlfriend to her closest blood relative.

"She's my girlfriend," continued Piper. Her pulse had picked up slightly in the last few sounds. She had been more nervous about this part of the night than anything else. She knew her little brother would be pretty open minded to her having a girlfriend. But she still was nervous on his reaction. Piper didn't usually discuss her love life with her younger brother, but she thought he would a good person from her family to start with.

Cal was quiet for a second as he looked at his sister, making sure she wasn't pulling his leg or anything. His blue eyes then shifter over towards Alex. The brunette stared strongly back at the younger Chapman. She was like a cat ready to pounce at any sign of a threat. She squeezed Piper's hand as her other gripped tightly onto the neck of the beer bottle. She knew that Piper's brother wasn't much of a threat to her or Piper but she couldn't help but think back to that drunk. Nothing had happened yet but she was fearing that the worse was about to happen, knowing all about Piper's family views on these things. She didn't want Cal to ruin Piper's night by making her upset in anyway.

"Hey. There's no need to look threatened or scared, Pipes. I'm not fucking mom." Cal had his attention fully back on his Piper. He wasn't going to bite like she clearly thought he was going too. Of course it was a little out of the blue to hear that his older sister had a girlfriend.

This seemed to be all that Piper needed to hear as a wide smile quickly spread across her features.

"Thank you Cal," whisper Piper tearfully into Cal's ear as she let go of Alex's hand and pulled her baby brother into a hug.

"Whatever makes you happy sis."


	28. Chapter 28

"Nice tits."

Alex turned around to face Nicky, who was smiling cheekily at her. She knew that Nicky was referring to the painting and not her actual breasts, which weren't currently on display. The taller woman just raised an eyebrow and shrug her shoulders slightly as if to say she wasn't going to argue with her friend over this. She agreed, her tits were quit nice.

"I'm a muse. What can I say?" Alex replied smugly.

Nicky laughed in response to this statement of Alex being a muse. She could clearly see that her friend was a muse to Piper.

"When did you guys get here?" asked Alex, noticing for the first time the woman standing beside Nicky.

"A couple of minutes ago," replied Lorna with a bright smile. Her lips were painted in their signature fire engine red. "We thought we would miss all the excitement, but it looks like the party is still in full swing here...isn't it?" The small Italian woman peered around the gallery which was still filled with people, despite it being close to closing time for the opening night.

"Yeah, the show got a good turn out," replied Alex as she too looked around the room. But instead of taking in the people around her, she was looking for one person specifically. She had lost sight of Piper yet again. After meeting and talking with Cal for a bit, the blonde had been swept off in meeting yet another gallery owner.

"So where is the artist?" asked Nicky as she snacked an arm around Lorna's waist and looked up at Alex.

"She's talking to some gallery owner over there," gestured Alex to the far side of the room where Piper stood with a frizzy-haired woman. The woman didn't look like much to Alex, but according to Piper, she owned one of the most successful galleries in the City.

Nicky looked over her shoulder and nodded her head in understanding before looking back at Alex. "So, how's it been going so far?"

"It's been going..."stated Alex. There wasn't much to report, she thought. Most of the night had involved what they were currently doing now, standing around and talking. And occasionally looking at the art. It had been fun to meet all the other artist of the show and being recognized by a few people as the model for Piper's painting. Piper wasn't the only one having her moment of fame tonight.

"Anyone recognize you?" asked Nicky, yet again gesturing to the painting of Alex behind them.

"Fuck ya!" replied Alex smugly. She was pretty proud of the attention she had gotten that night. She hadn't been expecting it. Most of the time the model wasn't present for these things. Or if they were, it wasn't that big of a deal. However, the way that Piper had captured Alex in the painting and seeing their relationship together in the flesh had gotten people's attention.

Both Nicky and Lorna laughed at this.

The trio of women continued to talk and move around the gallery space for a few moments longer before they were joined by Piper.

Piper touched Alex lightly on the arm as she leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

"Hi," whispered the blonde, smiling.

"Hi," whispered back Alex, who couldn't help but grin back.

The couple stared at each other for a second longer before returning their attention back onto their friends.

"I'm glad you guys could make it," spoke Piper towards Nicky and Lorna. "Are you enjoying the show so far?" She was hoping that they were enjoying it. She was happy that they had come out too. She hadn't known them for too long, but they had quickly become one of her closest friends in the City. She knew that had to do a great deal with being Alex's girlfriend and them being her best friends too. But Piper liked to think that even if her and Alex weren't together, that Nicky and her would still had become friends.

"Yeah, it's been good," replied Nicky. "Alex gave us the tour of the show...Nice painting by the way!"

"Thanks!"

"Maybe you could do one of me next..." Nicky winked at Piper, raising the drink in her hand up and taking a sip from it. "I could be Adam or something."

"Um...I'll think about...how about that?" replied Piper.

"What Chapman? You don't want to see all of this?" asked Nicky as she gestured to her body. "Or do you have something against a female Adam...because I got to say that seems a little hypocritical..."

Piper knew that Nicky was completely bullshitting her like normal. She hadn't intended to do a religious piece when she first started painting Alex. and she still wouldn't call it that. It was just a paining of her girlfriend as she sees her really. A confident, no bullshit, strong woman. Just like when she first saw her standing there in the centre of her drawing class.

"Hey! There is only room for one muse in this relationship," cut in Alex, pulling Piper close to her side. She didn't want Piper looking at anybody naked but her. Despite Nicky being her best friend, she wasn't sharing.

"Fine. Whatever. Me and Lorna here will start making our own artwork, isn't that right babe?" Nicky glanced over at Lorna who was trying to hold back her laughter.

"Nicky...we aren't really artist," tried to explain Lorna.

"What are you talking about?" asked Nicky in all serious to her girlfriend. "Don't you remember that hole I drilled in the wall last summer when trying to hang that picture? That was fucking a piece of artwork..."

"Oh yeah. I have seen that...it was a piece of art," agreed Alex, nodding her head in all seriousness.

"...It represented the futility of blue collar labor in a technological age," explained Nicky of the hole in the wall that she claimed was an art piece. "And vaginas."

Lorna rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's claims that she was an artist or that the deep hole in their bathroom wall was a pierce of art. It was far from it, in her opinion. It was more like a piece of crap in her life that needed to be fixed. The hole had yet to be replastered and fixed up. The picture that was suppose to be hung originally when the hole was created had yet to be put up either.

Piper could help but be slightly amused by the couple's banter together and Nicky's claim that her work was a piece of art. She knew that it was all just bullshit though. Like most art she thought, some of the explanations that the artist came up with them to support their work where complete bullshit. She was guilty of it herself. But she found that is what was needed some times to succeed. People just didn't want to hear that you painted your girlfriend one night and that was it. They wanted to hear that the woman in the painting represented women as a whole in a society/world run by man. And that women where still looked down and like Eve, can be influenced easily by temptation...Or something close to that. She couldn't exactly remember what she had told that reporter who had asked two glasses of wine earlier about her painting and the thought process behind it.

* * *

The subway was surprisingly quiet as the couple got on and took the seat by the window. They were at the back of the train, so they could look out and watch the world disappear from behind.

Piper immediately took off her heels which were killing her feet and stretched out her long legs into the seat in front of her.

"Give me those," spoke Alex, indicating for Piper to put her feet into her lap.

Piper looked at the brunette through the corner of her eye and smiled softly at her request. She immediately did what she was told and moved her feet into Alex's lap, shifting her weight in her seat so that she now had her back pressed up against the window and was facing Alex.

Alex studied Piper for a second as she began to slowly rub her left foot. Piper, she couldn't help remark looked like a young girl. Her high pony tail had long ago fallen out of it's elastic and was a tumble of soft waves around her shoulders. There was a rosy tint to her cheeks, which Alex knew wasn't from Piper's blush but the numerous glasses of red wine she had consumed through out the night.

Piper's eyes were closed as exhaustion slowly began to seep into her veins. She could tell that Alex was watching her. And usually she would call her out on it. But she didn't have the energy at the moment. She was in too much of a dream like state to care that her girlfriend was watching her sleep. This was the perfect ending to a great night she thought. There was something so romantic about the subway at night she thought. Maybe it was her drunkenness talking here, because usually the subway cars were anything but romantic at night, especially when she was alone on them. However, tonight was different. The soft sounds that the train was making as it moved through out the tunnel to the next stop was calming like the gentle rock of a boat or the movement of a car during a long journey. Not to mention the feel of Alex's fingers on her foot, rubbing circles into her aching arch.

As she drifted further into sleep, she did not feel the train come to a stop or hear a crowd of people come on.

Alex couldn't help but sit up a little straighter in her seat as she watched the crowd of people come into the car. Even though it was late, this stop was always one of the busiest ones in the city. There was a mixture of people in the crowd, some were exhausted looking, clearly coming from late shifts at work. Some where happily drunk and high from their previous bar hopping and where going off to another. Alex still held onto Piper's foot, but she stopping rubbing it for a second as she waited for the crowd to move further down the car and for the train to begin to move again. She didn't know why she was nervous about this crowd of people on the subway. She wasn't normally a nervous rider. She wasn't a normal commuter on the subway, but she wasn't foreign to it either. Maybe it was because she was afraid in someway that these fellow commuters would disturb her and Piper.

Alex felt she needed to be alert, like a mother bear ready to attack at any moment of a threat. Her green eyes narrowed slightly as they swept over the faces of the others on the train. No one was paying any sort of attention to her and Piper in the corner. There was a young business man in a suit sleeping. A older woman in bright aqua blue scrubs reading a worn out paperback novel. The group of drunks were seated further away, so she couldn't see them as clearly as she could the others. But she could tell that there was about five or six of them. A mixture of boys and girls, who were younger then she was. About 21 or younger she assumed.

As the train continued to move and Alex's nerves fluttered away slightly, her attention remained on that group. She found herself fascinated by them. Not because she hadn't seen or experienced a group of drunken teenagers or because they looked like young Hollywood starlets and she was captured by their beauty. No, they didn't look nothing like the sort. They were average looking kids, dressed in jeans and t-shirts. They were clearly not trying to get into any of the hottest clubs or bars that night. Maybe they were coming from a buddy's house party and going to another one. Or heading out to some dingy bar to hear a friend's band play or one of their favourite indie punk bands play.

The longer she watched and listened to them, she couldn't help, but reflect on her own experiences at that age and what Friday nights use to be about. She remember before the drugs or when it wasn't always about the next hit or high, that nights out were filled with seeing the next Nirvana and Bowie.

As she listened to the high drunken laugh of one of the girls in the group, the train came to a sudden stop. Her shoulders hit the back of the seat, throwing her out of her nostalgic daydream to reality.

She swore as the stop name was announced and the doors quickly opened. It was their stop. Alex swore again as she reached for Piper's shoes which were laying underneath the seat.

"What's wrong?" mumbled Piper as she opened her eyes.

Alex didn't bother to answer her as she stood up, picking Piper up in the process. She figured it would be either to carry Piper out then wait for her to put on her heels and walk out herself.

To an outsider, it might have looked like Alex was kidnapping Piper at her sudden bolt from the train car and Piper crying her name loudly in confusion. However, she was just a woman who didn't want to miss her stop.

The doors closed quickly behind Alex as she stepped firmly onto the subway platform. She couldn't help but sigh in relief as she walked slowly into the middle of the platform and finally put Piper down.

The couple stared at each other for a brief moment before both smiling. Alex was no longer thinking about the group of teenagers on the train or about her past as she looked into the blue orbs of her girlfriend's eye. All she was thinking about now was how lucky she was to have her here in her life.

"What?" asked Piper after a moment had passed and Alex was still staring at her like that.

"Can't I just look at my girlfriend?" stated Alex, a small smirk appearing on her face. Piper hated when she stared at her for a long time like that, but Alex just couldn't help herself sometimes.

Piper just shook her head playfully, before dropping onto the bench beside them. Without saying a word, she then reached for her heels in Alex's hand and began to put them back onto her aching feet.

She was going to make Alex give her another foot rub when they got home, she thought to herself. Clearly the first one hadn't done the trick as her feet began to protest as she stood up.


	29. Chapter 29

A month had passed since that small bag of pills had been discovered at the bar.

It had been a long one to say the least.

Things had quieted down since then, but there was still a bit of tension between Red and the girls. The Russian had yet to find out who the pills belonged too and she didn't like that very much. She had hoped to have this issue resolved by now. She didn't like having this tension between her and her staff. Not that it had been all rainbows and ponies before. It had been a lot better than this, though. There had at least been trust.

But now that was gone.

Red felt like she couldn't trust her girls, which she hated. Or it wasn't entirely that she couldn't trust them, she just couldn't put her guard down. She had to run a tougher ship now, knowing that there were drugs being circled underneath her nose. It had already happened once and she wouldn't let it ever happen again. Even if that meant losing her trust with her staff.

This bar was her home.

Everyone needed to understand that if they wanted to remain part of this home, this family, that they would have to stick by the rules.

Red blamed what had happened partly on herself. She knew she had been more slack recently on the rules and with the girls. It first had started with Mercy and Tricia dating. Next with allowing for Pornstache to stay on staff after that whole incident with Daya. And then more recently with allowing Piper and Alex to date. She had come down tough on them once. But that had been it really.

But unlike Mercy and Tricia, she knew that they wouldn't give her too much trouble. Red knew how important this job was to Alex, even if it was just a bar-tending job. She could tell that Alex enjoyed her work and didn't want to fail Red. Especially after she gave her the job in the first place and paid for her to get her bar-tending license soon after.

However, now she couldn't take her chances with any of them. Even Nicky.

She had been tougher on her over the past month than she had ever been. But it was all about tough love, thought the older woman. She couldn't afford to play favorites or anything at this point. Bringing drugs into her house had been a very disrespectful move in her books and she wouldn't let this one slid like she had the dating one.

Red let out a sigh, taking off her glasses and letting them hang from the purple cord around her neck. She pinched the bridge of her nose before standing up from the office chair. She was currently in her office, going over next week's schedule. It was just past 6 at night and she could hear the atmosphere in the bar getting louder and busier as she left the room. She didn't seem to leave the bar anymore. She was always here every night, making sure everything was running smoothly and that the customers were happy.

A bar wasn't the first place of business that Red had owned. Before opening Coyote, her and her husband had run a small restaurant in Queens. It was at a time when she had first moved to the states and missed her beloved mother country. The menu for the restaurant had been greatly influenced by the recipes and meals that her mother and grandmother had taught her growing up. The restaurant had lasted for a good twenty years before it had burned down in a fire, sadly.

She never planned on owning or running another business, but she had stumbled upon the bar one day like everyone who worked their had and never really looked back. She had bought the bar for a good price and it had taken a few years for her to get it up and running to where it was at now. But just like the restaurant in Queens, she loved every minute of it. There was just something so rewarding about the food industry, she found. From the customers that walked through that door every night, looking for an escape from life, or a good old time. She loved creating that experience for people. Serving them in anyway she could.

The Russian woman stepped into the main area of the bar and looked out. Her eyes searched around the room slowly, observing. The bar was packed for a Wednesday night. But despite it being September now, the weather was still nice and warm. And people seemed to stay out longer in the summer, especially during the week.

Madonna's Vogue was playing loudly from the jukebox. Red couldn't help, but frown slightly at hearing the famous pop song. She detested not only the singer, but pop music in general. She much preferred classical music and opera and sometimes jazz. However, people didn't come to a bar to hear jazz or classical music. They came for a good, fun time and the music had to reflect that. It had been her oldest son's idea to install the jukebox with it's wide range of songs to choose from.

She crossed her arms over her chest and pinpointed where each of her staff members were. Making sure that they were indeed doing their jobs. She didn't like to babysit her girls like this, but she felt like she had no choice nowadays. The first person she spotted was Piper who was clearing off a table. The girl, who she didn't think had a chance at lasting long, had grown some much in the few short months she had worked here. The blonde rarely got an order wrong these days or dropped anything for that matter. She was now one of her top waitresses she thought.

Red looked away from Piper as Nicky walked by.

Red's eyes burned into the side of Nicky's face. Nicky wore her signature grin on her face as she stopped to talk to Piper for a moment, holding the empty tray in her hands against her hip. The Russian was to far away to hear what they were saying and she didn't really care. Knowing Nicky, she was probably just making some joke towards Piper. Nicky was always the jokester, especially at work.

Red had the slight urge to talk to her daughter just then. She missed her, she thought suddenly as Nicky began to walk away and head towards her own section of the bar. It had been a while since she had seen her outside of the bar. Nicky had use to come over on Sundays for brunch, sometimes bringing Lorna along with her. However, Red and her barely talked these pass few weeks.

It was partly Red's fault for this she knew. She was the one who first had put distance between them and as much as she wanted to reverse the damage done and go back to how things had between them weeks ago. She knew that she couldn't, not until the issue was resolved.

She continued to watch Nicky for a few moments longer before looking over to the left of her where, Alex was busy making drinks. Unlike Nicky, who seem to be good at masking her feelings at work, Alex was wearing hers on her sleeve. The brunette looked exhausted and worn out. She this was due to working quite a full work load here, as well as modeling. Red knew that she needed to hire another bartender, two wasn't just enough anymore with the bar recent hike in popularity. And she had been meaning to hire another bartender when she hired Piper. But now she just couldn't due so. She couldn't afford to hire someone new to come into the bar when she couldn't even trust the people who have been working for her for years now.

Letting out a sigh, the Russian turned quickly on her heal and headed back towards her office.

* * *

_The room smelt like urine._

_Alex tried to breathe through her mouth as she shifted uncomfortably on the leather loveseat. Her eyes shifted nervously, taking in her surroundings. She couldn't believe she was here. That finally after years of hoping and dreaming, that she was seated across from her father._

_The man who had swept her mother off of her and had a steamy affair while on tour. The same man who would also leave her mother a week before she found out she was pregnant. Her mother had always been honest to Alex since she could remember, who her father was. Her mother was always retelling stories of the great musician her father was on stage. Painting almost fairy tale pictures in her girlhood mind of this God-like man she was related too._

_However, her mother had made sure to crush all these pictures she had grown up with when she announced her plans on going to New York City and finally meeting him. Once Alex had entered adolescence, she had lost the idea of meeting her father one day. She was an angry teenager, and hadn't wanted anything to do with the man who had abandoned her and her mother. However, weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Alex had come across a flyer advertising her dad's band and how they were touring once again that summer. She had wanted to ignore the flyer, but the little girl inside of her just couldn't. Especially when she read that the band would be playing for one night in New York City._

_Alex had torn the poster off the wall of the music store she had saw it in and folded it into the back pocket of her jeans. And she had kind of forgotten about it until her mother had asked her about it a few days later. Alex had ended up leaving the poster in her pocket and her mother had come across it while doing the laundry. Her mother had told her not to go to New York and see her dad. That he wasn't really what she had told her all these years. That going to see him would just break her heart. That nothing would really come from it._

_Hearing this from her mom had made her angry. Alex had every right to meet her father and form some sort of relationship with him. She had accused her mother of being a hypocrite. That she was just jealous that she was suddenly showing an interest in meeting her father and she didn't want to share._

_So she had waited until she had turned eighteen before buying her ticket to New York City. Her mother couldn't stop her now, she was an adult. She could make her own decisions, she thought._

_She only told her mother the night before of her plans of heading out to the City. Her mother hadn't been happy, but she hadn't stopped her either._

_Her mother had even offered to drive her to the bus station the next morning._

_As Alex had gotten onto the bus, she was determined to prove her mother wrong that this wasn't a bad idea. That her father wouldn't be some big disappointment or anything. Sure she wasn't expecting crying and warm hugs like those morning talk shows showed sometimes of adopted kids finally meeting their birthparents after years of searching for them and so on._

_She wasn't delusional. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but it was something she needed to do. After coming-out last summer, she felt like she could do anything. Hence going to the City to meet a man that doesn't even know she exist. Hell, she was nervous but also excited. This was not only her first trip to New York by herself. But it was her first real step in becoming an adult._

_Alex bit her bottom lip hard as she stared at her dad. He wasn't what she expected him to be. The only pictures she had ever seen of him where taken eighteen years ago. Of course she knew he would be older looking and maybe have a few grey hairs. She pictured him like a well aged Steven Tyler. However, he was much more fatter than Steven Tyler probably ever would be. His hair was thin and grey. He was wearing a ripped band tee and a red bandana around his head. He was one of those pathetic looking rocker man that she would see sometimes hanging around at the music store, where there was still a small vinyl section._

_She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he breathed heavily out from his mouth. He didn't seem to know what to say or make of her. Just like she wasn't sure either. She kinda wish it was just him and her in the green room of the bar. But the other band members where there too. The main singer of the band, Cici was seated next to her dad. She could tell with how they were all looking at her with somewhat vacant eyes that they were high._

_"I can't believe you're my daughter..."spoke her father suddenly._

_Alex was a little taken back by this. This was the first real thing her dad had said really since inviting her inside._

_"I know...it's surreal..." She knew it sounded lame to say but it was the truth. Despite her dad not being the rock God she imaged he would be, it was still kinda surreal that she was here._

_"Like fuck! I had a kid walkin' around for twentysomethin' years...and then BAM! You walk in! Fuck! Life is messed up man!"_

_"I'm eighteen," whispered Alex._

_"What?"_

_"I'm eighteen," she repeated. "You haven't had a kid walking around for twenty somethin' years... more like e_ _ighteen years."_

_Her father just stared at her for a moment, as if she had just given him a math problem. "Fuck! You're eighteen!?"_

_She frowned slightly a hearing the disbelief in his tone. She knew she looked older then her age. And usually it didn't bother her that much. It specially came in handy when going out. However, hearing it come from her dad, hurt a little for some reason._

_"Yeah..."_

_"Shit! You sure don't look eighteen. I was expecting you to be at least twenty one or somethin'. Man...you sure did grow up well..."_

_Alex's cheeks flushed as her dad's eyes fell from her face and onto her chest and lingered there for a moment too long._

_"Who did you say your mother was?" He asked after an awkward moment had passed. Within this moment he had muster up the energy to look back up at Alex's face. He seemed unfazed about what he had just done._

_"I didn't," replied Alex with an edge to her voice. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat up a little straighter. She was feeling rather uncomfortable now. "Is there a bathroom I could use?"_

_She didn't want to stay any longer here then she had too. Her dream had just turned into a nightmare. Her dad was just what her mom had warned her, he would be. One big fat disappointment._

_She immediatly rose to her feet as Cici pointed out where the bathroom was._

_She was getting the fuck out of here._

* * *

Alex leaned into the cracked surface of the bathroom mirror and reapplied her lipstick. Her shift was over and she was just about to head out. She had a hot date with a certain blonde.

It was their four month anniversary.

It had been a while since she had been in a relationship that celebrated each passing month together. She had with her first girlfriend in high school, but not since, until Piper that was. She didn't know what had changed her mind all the sudden. The urge had never been there before.

But like everything else, Piper was different.

She wanted to write her cheesy messages in cards and give little presents, showing her her girlfriend smile that adorable smile of hers.

As she smacked her lips, there was a knock on the door, making her jump slightly. She wasn't expecting it.

"Someone's in here!" she called out over her shoulder.

"It's me!" came Piper's voice through the door.

Alex turned around at this and immediately opened the door. A wide grin spread across her features as her eyes met Piper's. She was always happy to see her. Even when she had just seen her like ten minutes ago working in the bar. It was hard to describe, but she missed her each time she was away, even for just a second and laying eyes on her was like coming home from a long trip.

"What?" asked Piper, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. Alex was always doing that, just smiling at her whenever she came into a room.

"Nothing," smirked Alex as she slid the lid onto her lipstick and reached out towards her girlfriend.

Neither of them said anything as they stood close together. Hips pressing into each other. They stood like they were at a middle school dance, Piper's arms wrapped around Alex's neck, Alex's hands resting gently on her hips.

This didn't last for long though as they began to kiss. Awkward teenagers melting into seductive adults.

However, as much as they wanted to developed the kiss, faith had other plans for them. Just as Alex's tongue slip into the dark concaves of Piper's month, there was a knock at the bathroom door.

Alex tore her lips quickly away from Piper's and call out, "Someone's in here!"

She then met Piper's eye and smiled softly. "Shall we continue?"

With a smile on her face, the blonde nodded her head in agreement. It had felt like ages since her and Alex had been alone like this. She knew that was a little dramatic of her. It hadn't been exactly ages since her and Alex had been alone. They spent most of their time together.

Leaning forward, the couple's lips briefly touched before another knock interrupted them.

Alex groaned as Piper pulled away from her. They both knew that there was nothing they really could do but leave the bathroom. Whoever was on the other side, was clearly in dire need to relieve their bladder. Piper smiled at Alex, before taking her by the hand and slowly opening the door.

Nicky smirked at the couple as they emerged out of the bathroom. "It's about time," she spoke as she abandoned her post against the wall and moved towards the door. "A woman's got to pee here."

The couple didn't say anything as they stepped out of her way.

"Seeya later at Boo's?" asked Alex towards the shorter woman as she entered the bathroom.

"Yeah...seeya," the blonde mumbled before closing the bathroom door quickly behind her.

Her heart was racing as she leaned up against it and her eyes fell onto the toilet.

She stood paralyzed like this for a moment, her hand clenching onto the doorknob, her shoulders pressing painfully into the wooden surface of the door. Her brown eyes fixated on the toilet. It wasn't the toilet that fascinated her so much. It's what was behind the toilet, hidden from plain sight that she was most interest in.

Nicky took a deep breath, her mind racing at what to do. It had been a long time since she had been put in a situation like this. Temptation coursed through her blood stream, prickling her fingertips. It would be so easy, she thought, to reach in there and pop back those pills. And a younger Nicky would do just that. There would be no hesitation. No thinking too much about the decision like she was doing currently. That Nicky would just do.

That was a much different Nicky then to the version she was now. Or she liked to think.

She liked to think she had improved some what. That all the years of keeping clean and going to rehab and such had done some good for her. That all that hard work had paid off for her. And maybe all that work and all those years of fighting to stay clean had come down to this very moment, when she could either take all that hard work and throw it out the window or continued to fight through this fire was coursing through her. Pushing down all those old habits and somewhat natural instincts to use.

This was the final test.

Nicky didn't know if she wanted to pass or fail.


End file.
